A Shimmering Path
by tyrantOFathens
Summary: An AU of starwars X equestria girls. Sunset Shimmer is a padawan struggling through her emotions and duties, but in the shadows of the Temple, a dark hunter is lurking, and many look to Sunset as the prime suspect. Can she solve this mystery, or will she be caught in the tide? Along the way, betrayal shows its ugly head to spice things up. Temporary cover image by me.
1. Chapter 1: The Obligatoy beggining

**A/N: Howdy guys, sorry i haven't updated anything in a while, i hit a heck of a wall of writers block, got a new phone that caused some difficulties, and then had this lovely cross-over idea. Some starwars characters will appear, but it will mostly be an AU Equestria girls thing. I plane to update my other stuff soon, as i wont be able to the first month if summer, so dont worry! Im still here, just stuck in a pit.**

 **anyways, enjoy, and let me now your theories and thoughts. More support means more chapters, so let me know if im doing good or really crappy. Anything helps.**

The doors to the drop ship opened, and a stream of people walked out. A few aliens towered over the group, while a few other races scampered between feet. Among the group, a hooded and cloaked figure pushed their way through the crowd. Their black clothing giving them an air of intimidation, most just simply moved out of their way. Once out of the crowd, the black clothed figure made their way through an empty building, stepping carefully around assorted boxes and materials. The figure paused, before removing her hood. Sunset Shimmer stood with a small scowl across her face. She shrugged off her black cloak, revealing jedi robes underneath. It was too hot in the temple to wear her cloak. While most jedi did, she wasn't about to burn up just to fit in.

Stashing her cloak in her pack, previously hidden by said cloak, she continued on to the Temple, nodding to a few other padawans as she made her way up the steps. Stepping into the main hall, she was greeted by the sight of her master, Macedon Folly, patiently leaning against one of the pillars.

"traffic must have been heavy today, you look a little angry." He commented as she walked up. Sunset huffed.

"you have no idea. Some drunk called me 'bacon haired', I swear if one more person calls me that, they will get a lightsaber up their-"

"Sunset! What have talked about?" Sunset sighed at her masters interjection. She had almost lost her cool again. She could feel the stare of a few close by people, and hung her head.

"I know, I know, 'control the anger, master over it and it will never take hold' I've heard it enough times." Sunset grumbled the last part. Unfortunately, Macedon heard her.

"Sunset…" she knew that tone. Another lecture was coming. "…aren't you forgetting something?" With a bucket full of relief, Sunset set down her pack, and rummaged through it before finding what she was looking for.

A small container full to the near top with soup. But not just any soup. Think of your favorite meal. How it just tastes like heaven. Now times that by ten. That was this soup. And she only had to travel a few hours to get it.

Sliding half of the container apart, it split into two equal sections, one for her, and one which she begrudgingly handed over to her master. Lecture averted!

"Ah, and there is the prize. You know, I should have gotten a padawan a lot sooner, nothing beats having someone bring you this little drop of perfection!" Macedon said with a warm smile. Sunset smiled back as she relinquished a spoon to him as well.

"your brother sends his regards. And wants you to stop by to get it yourself sometime. I kinda agree with him, being the errand runner wasn't exactly in the job description." Sunset joked. It was also a bonus Macedon's brother ran the soup shop. Macedon laughed back.

"I'd rather not repeat what happened last time. He nearly had to close down! I just couldn't help it, his soup is too good…" he trailed off as he took his first spoonful. Sunset did the same, and immediately forgot all frustration about the traffic she had encountered earlier.

"We better finish this pretty soon. I have a new training routine I want you to work through, so we will need most of the day that is left. If you don't mind, I also need to go talk to a few of the other jedi about getting it introduced as a certified and official training course. Sound good?" Macedon cast a questioning glance at Sunset who merely nodded.

"ok, go ahead and stop by your room. Just be in our usual training room in thirty minutes. Got it?" He asked again.

"Got it!" Sunset assured him as he set off, looking rather ridiculous as he shoved another spoonful of soup into his mouth as he walked. Shaking her head, Sunset continued to her room, before realizing she probably looked just as weird.

Sunset slipped into her room, setting her pack on the floor without ceremony. Opening it with slightly more care, she tossed her cloak onto her bunk, and checked the clock. Without looking back into the bag, she reached into the pool of different things. She had exactly ten minutes. Her hand closed around something cold and metallic. A strange feeling washed over her, and she was suddenly very glad that her robes were a bit loose. Sliding the object up her sleeve, she heard a click, and began vigorously shaking her arm. No movement, perfect. Sunset double checked that her saber was on her belt, and stepped out her door, slowly sliding it closed.

-break-

"Focus, Sunset!" Macedons voice cut through the buzzing of the drones circling around Sunset. The six orbs were flying around at random, shooting out barely destructive bolts of energy. They still stung however, and Sunset had a number of singed dots on her robes. It didn't help that she was standing on one leg either.

Balancing on a raised platform took skill, and focus. Blocking blaster fire took skill and focus. Blocking six targets and balancing? Nigh impossible. Yet that is where Sunset found herself currently. And she was blindfolded. Even better. Someone could have thrown a rock at her and she wouldn't be able to do much.

A slight change in the force around her made her listen to her masters words. Focusing and using the force, she located five drones, and expertly blocked all five bolts. Sunset smiled.

"I think you made this too easy! C'mon, I need a challe- hey!" the sixth, and mostly forgotten drone shot the back of her leg she was standing on, and it buckled. With a loud _thud_ Sunset hit the floor, her Lightsaber going dark, and just for effect, one of the drones shot again.

Her anger growing rather steadily, Sunset ripped off her blindfold, and used the force to send all six drones towards the wall rather harshly.

"Ugh! I'm done! This is getting stupid! Tell me why I have spent the last two hours doing that again? I've failed six times! Six! What am I supposed to learn from that!?" Sunset exploded at her master, who had an annoyingly smug look.

"For starters, I wanted to see how long it would take for you to get angry. Second, it is to keep you focused in a strange situation, for a long period of time, as well as test your limits with the force, and your physical balance. Would you like to give this unchallenging course another go?" Macedon watched as his padawan went from angry to defeated. Sunset sighed. She shook her head and stood up, rubbing a burn mark on her arm.

"No. I don't feel like humiliating myself again today. Thanks." Sunset replied drily. Feeling a bit dejected, she re-clipped her purple saber onto her belt. She felt Macedon's hand on her shoulder.

"Don't look so down, you kept your anger in check for longer than I thought you would, and when you did let it out, the outburst was shorter, and you voiced a rather good question. As a good friend once said, 'Don't question the means, question the motives.'" Sunset looked up at Macedon, and nodded. Still feeling down, she stepped out of the training room silently. After saying goodnight to her master, she wandered the halls. Sunset finally made up her mind, she needed to meditate, and she knew just the place.


	2. Chapter 2: Some Interesting things

Sunset Shimmer walked slowly through the gardens, a place where many Jedi went to meditate. As far as she knew, she was the only one here at the time. Taking a seat by her favorite patch of flowers, she took a few deep breaths. She placed her palms on her knees, and closed her eyes, her slow breathing giving her a rhythm to slightly sway to. With her mind cleared, she began to focus on the force around her. A comforting sense of calm swept through her, but it was cut short by something cold pressing against her skin.

Sunset's eyes snapped open. She begrudgingly felt her sleeve, feeling the straps on her upper arm move a bit as the object she had placed there flew into her grasp with a slight tug of the force. She glanced at it again, before taking off her saber, and setting both objects down in front of her.

Sunset tried to regain a clear mind once more, but a small growing sense of dread kept rising up in her. A sudden realization dawned on her. She wasn't alone.

Standing up, Sunset returned her saber to her belt, and placed the object back into the loose folds of her sleeve. Quietly stepping around the gardens, she came across two jedi, presumably a master and apprentice. The younger of the two was quietly sobbing, and Sunset could just make out the words exchanged between the two.

"I'm sorry master, I tried not to let it effect my training, but I just learned my father died. He… he was the only family I had left." The older, a women, grabbed the padawan into a tight hug.

"Do not fret, young one, you should have just told me. I understand. I was barely older than you were when my parents passed, but do not cry too much, for they are all one with the force now, honor your fathers memory, not mourn the loss." Sunset felt tears forming in her own eyes, but she wiped them away.

It was a few moments later, after the padawan had stopped crying, that Sunset made up her mind to go talk to him. The older jedi left, seemingly at the request of the younger who was now sitting, staring into the growing plants lifelessly. With his attention completely elsewhere, and his back to her, he did not notice Sunsets approach.

-break—

Sunset was awoken by the sound of many voices, and a lot of commotion outside her door. Not exactly sure what was going on, she dressed quickly, and stepped outside. A troupe of padawans ran by her, and without further contemplation, she fell into step behind them. With rising dread, she realized they were headed toward the gardens, where a large crowd was already gathered. She spotted Macedon pushing people away from the door, and made her way through the crowd to get to him.

"Master, what is going on?" she asked frantically when she reached the door. Macedon looked grim, and he just shook his head. Sunset managed a glimpse into the gardens.

The whole Council stood around two forms. One was the kneeling form of the older Jedi Sunset had seen, and the other was the padawan, dead on the floor, with his hand on his saber.

The council all had there heads bowed. Sunset had never seen such a disturbing scene. One of the council members raised their head. Jedi Master Luna locked eyes with Sunset, her gaze was full of sadness, and something else Sunset couldn't quite place.

After the initial shock of what happened died down, many things were cancelled throughout the day, and many padawans were ordered to stick with their masters, or at least travel in groups. Sunset was sitting next to Macedon in a designated meditating room when she realized she needed to tell someone what she knew.

"I saw him last night," Sunset whispered, barely keeping her voice from quivering. Macedon raised his head, and looked at her skeptically.

"What are you talking about?" he asked her quietly.

"After we had finished training, I went to the gardens to meditate. I- I saw him talking with his master about… family matters. She left, and I went down and talked to him. He wasn't in the mood to talk, so I said goodnight, and went back to my room…. No one lese was there, no one! I just don't know who, o-or how, or why!" Sunset couldn't stop her voice from rising as she continued. She didn't realize she was shaking until she felt Macedon's arm wrap around her shoulder.

"hush now, it will be ok. Just don't ever go by yourself again, ok? And please, for everyone's peace of mind, don't go into the gardens anymore," he paused for a moment, then continued. "We will have to explain this to the council, you realize this, right?" he asked softly. Sunset nodded in reply.

"can… can I stay in my room for a while? I do not think I am ready to go before them." Sunset commented shakily. Macedon gave her a small, sad, smile.

"of course. You go get some rest. I will tell them what you told me here. Should they send for you personally, I will come get you."

Master and padawan walked out of the meditating room, before splitting once more to go their separate ways. Sunset was joined by a few familiar faces on her way to her room, and she excused herself from the other padawans when she reached her destination. Still thinking over what had happened, she proceeded to use a technique Macedon had taught her to calm herself down. Dropping to her knees, Sunset closed her eyes, and unhooked her saber. And with a deep breath, began to disassemble it.

-break—

Macedon stepped into the council room, and bowed to the Jedi masters seated around him. All chairs were filled except for one. Macedon didn't know why, but the thought that Master Luna was not present disturbed him.

The only other chair not currently housing a physical being, was Kit Fisto's, which was currently displaying a blue hologram of said master from the other galaxy. The Council headed by Yoda and Mace Windu kept in semi constant relation with the current council, headed by Celestia, Luna, and a group of others commonly known as the Elements of Harmony. How they got that name was confidential, but there are some far fetched rumors circulating the temple.

Celestia spoke first.

"Macedon, what is troubling you? You do not often come before the council." Her question and statement were followed by a few nods from the other council members.

"It… it concerns my padawan, Sunset Shimmer. She spoke to me earlier today… it is about the recent events that took place in the gardens. She claims to have been inside the gardens, and even tried to talk with the poor padawan, but apparently, he was not in the mood to talk. Sunset claims no one else was present, and she left him after he would not hold a conversation." A few murmurs came from the assembled Masters, and Kit Fisto placed his chin on his fist.

-break—

Sunset was too focused on her saber to notice her door slide open. The figure who walked in remained silent, watching her re-assemble her lightsaber. She had just set the last piece in place when the figure spoke up.

"Sunset Shimmer." The simple phrase startled Sunset, and in an instant, her eyes snapped open, set her feet, and ignited her saber in a ready stance. Standing before her was Jedi Master Luna.

Sunset quickly deactivated her saber, the purple glow fading from the room, and stepped back, quickly bowing before the Elder jedi.

"My apologies, Master Luna, I was deep in thought and you caught me off guard." Sunset hurried out her apology, and mentally smacking herself for stating something blatantly obvious. Luna smiled, and removed her hood.

"No worries, padawan, I should have knocked." Luna stepped back out the door, and motioned for Sunset to follow her. Sunset followed hesitantly out of her room, before quickly moving to keep up with Luna. The older Jedi was walking with a brisk pace, something most jedi never used inside the temple, so Sunset guessed it was important. A sudden pang of fear tore through Sunset. What if this was about what happened at the gardens?

As Sunset thought about what Luna could possibly want with her, Luna led her through the temple to a part Sunset was not quite familiar with. The Jedi Master stopped, which prompted Sunset to stop by her side. Luna checked down each corridor of the hall, and then slowly reached her hand out to the wall. If Sunset wasn't watching, or standing right next to Luna, she wouldn't have believed it.

A slight twinge in the Force was all sunset felt, and she was fairly certain what Master Luna had done was done with the Darkside, but she decided to save her questions. But that couldn't be! Luna was a Master on the Council, right? Why would she need the Darkside?

Her mind was torn away from her thoughts by a small noise, and she watched in amazement as a passage opened up within the wall. Luna wasted no time in going in, but Sunset hesitated once more. Luna paused, and turned around.

"Come, padawan. I would like to show you my own personal training room. Jedi who learn the form you currently wish to continue with need some… special guidance. I can show you things Macedon cannot teach you."

 **A/N: Ok! Second chapter done! So as I stated on the other chapter, I will be out for a while, so I will post this now and hopefully have a mindful of ideas once I get back! An just to clear things up, there are 7 styles of Lightsaber combat, Luna and Sunset use or are learning form 7, the same one Windu uses. Macedon is form 4, or at least I think he should be. If you care, go look at what those are and have fun deciding which is best.**

 **And no, Sunset isn't going to be killed anytime soon. Don't worry. Let me know what you think of it so far!**


	3. Chapter 3: short and not so sweet

"Good! You may take a break now Sunset." Luna called from her spot, leaning against the wall as she watched Sunset practice. In Luna's private training room, they had set up a saber wielding training bot set specifically to counter a learner of the Vapaad form, or Juyl, depending on who you ask.

Sunset deactivated her lightsaber and gratefully sank to the floor. She had been trying to best the bot for nearly an hour, and she had reached her limits, physically, mentally, and somewhat emotionally. Her efforts were rewarded with multiple burns from where the bot had gotten past her defense, while the bot had one large gash along its chest, courtesy of the last round in which Sunset lost her control over her anger.

Luna silently walked over, and put the training bot to sleep, before returning to where Sunset was stretched out on the floor.

"Overall, you did well, though, I am curious- you did not look completely comfortable with your saber." Sunset looked briefly into the eyes of the Jedi Master, catching a rather unnerving yet knowing glance. A small trickle of fear sprung up inside of Sunset, but she immediately dispelled it. Luna couldn't possibly know.

"It is important you learn to trust those around you, it could save your own life one day, or maybe even theirs." Luna stated, showing the wisdom that came from ages of experience. Luna held out her hand to Sunset, and helped her to her feet.

"Come, I bet Macedon is looking for you, I have kept you too long." And with that, Luna walked steadily towards the exit of her private training room, leaving Sunset to work her way behind her.

- _ **break**_ -

Macedon walked frantically down the hall. Sunset wasn't in her room, in any of the meditation areas, or, the Force forbid, in or near the gardens. The dining hall was the last place Macedon was going to check before he truly panicked. The only other place that she could be was in the library, or walking around. And those were just as likely as the gardens.

Turning the corner briskly, Macedon stopped short. A young padawan met his gaze, a guilty look in his eyes. Halfway to his open mouth was a piece of cake, triple chocolate by the looks of it.

"I am not going to ask why you have cake, b-" before Macedon could finish his sentence, the cake disappeared, and he watched in amusement as the padawan finished chewing hurriedly.

"Don't tell my master, please!" the boy cried, and Macedon gave him a mischievous grin.

"Only if you get me some next time. Sound like a deal?" Macedon held out his hand, and the boy greedily accepted. Once that business was finished, Macedon continued his earlier question.

"Now, aside from eating 'frowned upon' food items, what are you doing by yourself? I am sure you heard of the most recent request made by the council." The boy shrugged, and made a rather dismissive gesture.

"I needed the cake, besides, I didn't want to have to get any for others, but I had to be a little lenient, I couldn't have you ratting me out." The young padawan replied with a smirk, then he frowned.

"I won't get in trouble for being out alone, will I?" Macedon regarded the young boy for a moment, and shook his head.

"No, not if you continue with me for a moment, I seem to have lost my padawan, and I could use some help finding her." The boys face lit up, and Macedon raised an eyebrow.

"You mean Sunset Shimmer?" The boy suddenly realized how eager he sounded, and looked down at the ground, trying to brush it off.

"I mean, yeah, I can help. Where to?" Macedon held up a hand.

"The library, but first, what is your name?" the young padawan strode by, and threw his name over his shoulder.

"Corinth."

-break-

Sunset groaned as she walked down the hallway. She was too tired and too sore to walk much farther than to her bed. It seemed so far, it was a simple walk, yet each step caused something to cramp or sting.

She paused, leaning up against the wall, silently cursing Master Luna for simply disappearing and leaving her to struggle on.

Gathering up what strength she could, she prepared to suffer through the final leg of her journey. Out of nowhere, two sets of arms grabbed hers, and soon, she was leaning on Macedon for support. If she hadn't been so tired, she probably would have screamed.

Instead, she let herself go limp, and slowly began to lose her focus as she blacked out, the last thing Sunset focused on was a frowning, but concerned Macedon, and a confused padawan she didn't know the name of. The last thought to scroll through her mind, was that of how big a lecture she would receive upon waking up.

 **A/N: So, it is really, really,** _ **really**_ **late, and rather short, and maybe a little bland, but the important thing is that I am making progress, XD**

 **I hit a crap ton of writers block, had some camps. Had to be a counselor last minute and help babysit middle schoolers, in short, life was life. Oh. And I read a bunch. And played Total War: Warhammer… a lot…..**

 **Anyways, let me know what you think, and hopefully chapter 4 will get us back on schedule!**

 **Disregard the fact that I just totally pulled the most stereotypical way to end a chapter card. Please.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Plot Demands Development!

_**A/N:**_ **So I got this done surprisingly quick. Hopefully it is better than chapter 3 was. It is about twice as long, so huzzah.**

 **Shout out to Darian J. Kim for reviewing and showing some support, thank you greatly! It keeps me going.**

 **So, enjoy, and please let me know what you think! Any comments are welcome.**

* * *

Sunset woke in a bed too comfortable to be her own, and guessed she was in the infirmary. Her legs and arms felt sore still, and one of her many burns from the training bot still stung, but she felt better. Considering the state she was found in, a lot better.

She sensed Macedon in the room, and risked a peek, opening her eye just a smidge. He sat in the corner, his eyes closed, hands under his chin. Around him swirled the many pieces of his lightsaber. He frowned, and seemingly as a result, a piece fell out of sync, and lazily hovered where it was. Sunset watched a moment longer, as the lightsaber was reassembled.

Macedon opened his eyes and held out his hand, catching the saber as it dropped into his palm. He looked up at the door a second before it opened. The padawan Sunset had seen when she was losing consciousness walked in, and in his hands he held two small plates, each holding a slice of cake.

"How is she doing?" the padawan asked, as he held a plate out to Macedon.

"Ask her yourself, she just woke up." Macedon replied smoothly, and he glanced over to where Sunset was now beginning to sit up. She almost immediately groaned, and fell back down.

"Ugh, sitting was not a good idea. I'm fine, mostly. How long was I out?" Sunset asked to either of them as they began digging into their cake. She was only a little envious.

Ok. She was _really_ envious. Triple chocolate was her favorite.

"Lets see- you were asleep through the night, and it is nearly mid day, so roughly 13 hours, give or take. I wasn't keeping too much an eye on time." Macedon replied. He paused, seemingly trying to find the best way to word his next question.

"Where were you? Much less, why were you alone?" he asked in a slightly more stern voice.

"I was training with Master Luna, she had me fight a droid, and I lost every time but the last, as you can see. She left me for no reason to make my way back. She didn't even try to help. Didn't even care I was struggling, and in pain, she didn't bat an-"

"Sunset." The one calm word made her stop. She hadn't even realized she was raising her voice. Suddenly aware she was clenching her fists, Sunset spread them out over the bed sheet, smoothing it over, and refused to look up. With some difficulty, she managed to fight down the sudden barrage of anger.

"I'm sorry, I am still sore, and really hungry. Any chance the-"

The door opened once more, and one of the nurses stepped in carrying a tray. A large plate of food was in the center, with some utensils and water, as well as a roll of gauze.

"Good afternoon everyone, glad to see your up Padawan Shimmer. If you don't mind I just need to roll up your sleeve and re-apply a bandage, and I will let you eat." As the nurse set the tray down, a sudden panic rocked Sunset. With a little dread, and a little relief, she realized she didn't have _it_ on her arm anymore. And the dread slowly took hold as she realized she hadn't felt it when she was going unconscious either.

"Are you alright?" two voices spoke at once, the nurse and Macedon shared a glance, before both looked at Sunset again.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it, ugh, just hurt a little to lift my arm. Still sore and all." Sunset put on her best reassuring smile, and hoped that her lie would slip by. She could tell no one in the room believed her, but no one objected.

"Alright. I will let you eat and have a bit more silence. I will take Corinth here to find his master, and then we have a few things to talk about." Macedon sighed heavily, and motioned with his head towards the other padawan. After politely dismissing himself from the nurse, he strode out of the room, and Corinth gave her a quick smile before following.

Sunset sighed, and her misery grew at the barely noticeable pitying glance the nurse gave her. Not seeing another option, Sunset mentally prepared herself for the inevitable lecture ahead.

* * *

Sunset looked up as the door slid open, expecting to see Macedon step in. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she saw Master Luna instead. A small seed of anger began growing in Sunset once more.

"Before you say anything, I would like to let you know, everything I do has a purpose. From the smallest hand gesture, to the greatest feats I have accomplished. I had to see how you would fare after such an extreme practice without guidance. Test your limits. Among other things. Do you understand?" Luna's expression never changed. Observing and judging seemed to be her specialty. Her hard glare unnerved Sunset, but her anger wouldn't let her break eye contact with the Jedi master.

"No. You left me to fare for myself when I was obviously not in a position to do so, you broke a rule set by the council _you_ are part of, and now Macedon is going to get in my face about it. I don't think I understand at all." Sunset replied heatedly. Something deep down told her that her anger shouldn't be getting the best of her, but that anger only grew when Luna smirked.

"I see. When you are relieved from the infirmary, come find me. I have something of yours, should you wish to collect it." Without waiting for a reply, Luna turned and glided out of the room, her foot steps never making a sound. A moment later, Macedon walked in once more, followed by the nurse from earlier. Macedon immediately stepped up to the side of the bed and placed his hand on her shoulder. His gaze was soft, but alarmed.

"You're practically radiating anger, what happened? What's wrong?" He asked hurriedly. The nurse paused, and quietly stepped back out of the room.

"Was it Master Luna? I saw her coming from this direction, tell me what is going on." Macedon asked a bit more gently. Sunset wouldn't meet his eyes, and her anger slowly but surely ebbed away.

"She is just so, so, _aggravating_! She came in here and basically said I was weak and then left! What kind of council member does that?" Sunset didn't know why it felt like it wouldn't be a good idea to tell the whole truth, but it wasn't really a lie either. She closed her eyes and sighed, and looked up at her master.

"I am sorry, I just, when she walked in, I was so angry with her, and I couldn't fight it down. I'll get it under control, I promise." Sunset vowed, and she was slightly surprised when Macedon gave her a fatherly hug. She was grateful nonetheless, it did wonders to calm her down.

Moments later, she was allowed to leave the infirmary, with a roll of bandages, and orders to come back if any of the burns didn't heal up in a day or two. As she and Macedon walked out, she decided she wouldn't go to Luna, no matter what today. She didn't want to get too angry again.

* * *

The next day, Sunset was awoken by a knock on her door. It wasn't Macedon's usual knock, and she assumed Luna wouldn't. Her confusion grew with each step towards the door. She opened it to reveal three young padawans, a few years younger than she was. All of them had different expressions. One of awe, one of suspicion, and one, well. That last one looked like he was just dragged along.

"Are the rumors true?" the one with the suspicious look asked. Taken back, Sunset stared at her.

"What rumors?" the girl facepalmed, and the other boy that had the awed look answered.

"People are saying you dueled with Master Luna and almost won. That she was so humiliated, she left you to make your own way to the infirmary. And the-" he stopped when Sunset held up a hand.

"Of course those aren't true. It was a practice bot, and she was looking over my performance. If we had been dueling, I would have lost in the first five minutes." The boy looked crushed. The girl looked rather triumphant, and the third cuffed the other boy on the back of his head. Seemingly accomplishing what they had come to do, they shuffled down the hall, leaving Sunset to contemplate how the rumors started. As she was closing the door, a shout stopped her midway.

"Hold the door please!"

A messenger stopped in front of her, breathing a little hard. He held out a package while he recovered. Sunset took it hesitantly, not having the slightest idea as to who it came from.

"oh man, I'm out of practice, haven't had to run that much in a while… ugh. Phew, ok. The package is from Jedi Master Luna, said it was urgent. Don't know what it is. Have a good day miss Shimmer." And he was off, running down the hallway, quickly overtaking the group of padawans and pushing past a few others.

Sunset closed the door, and sat on her bed. Opening the package carefully, she caught her breath. Her thoughts quickly flashed to the item she kept up her sleeve. She had asked many times over for a second saber. And many times over she was denied. So she resulted to making her own. She had dissembled hers enough times to know what she needed. It was strictly outlawed to do so, but she had done it. She noticed a small note, and picked it up.

 _Your weapon was crude, but surprisingly well made. I decided you needed one of jedi quality, and saw to it you were permitted to train with a second saber. I hope it is to your liking._

 _~Luna._

Without waiting another second, Sunset took her now official second lightsaber. It was smooth and cold to the touch, silver with traces of gold finish, and the hilt was slightly curved. It felt comfortable in her hand, and when she turned it on, she smiled. The purple blade matched her first, and now, Sunset felt as though she could never be mad at Master Luna again.


	5. Chapter 5: calm before the storm

Sunset walked with Macedon through the temple. Earlier, he had told her they were going to try the same exercise as before, and see how she did compared to last time.

Macedon did make it a little easier though, taking a small factor out due to Sunset's recent injuries. Sunset was now allowed to stand on both feet, but the platforms were separate and slightly thinner. Not much of an improvement, but an improvement nonetheless.

As they neared the training room, Sunset decided it was a good time as any to show Macedon her new weapon.

"Macedon? Before we start, I need to show you something." He stopped just short of the door, and spun calmly to face his student. Sunset had placed her new lightsaber in the same place she kept her contraband one, and with a short pull of the Force, pulled it from her sleeve, and held it out to Macedon.

"After, *ahem*, my training with Master Luna, she sent me this. We both know I have asked a lot, and been refused a lot, but she had it approved. I thought I should tell you now, instead of you finding out in the middle of a training session." Macedon raised an eyebrow, clearly questioning everything behind the occurrence, but he said nothing. He took it from her hand, and inspected it carefully. He placed it back in Sunset's hands with a small frown.

"I can't say I fully agree, but you have been patient about the issue. We shall soon see how it goes. You will have to re-adjust techniques, moves, and it will overall feel very different, are you sure you are ready?" He asked, the frown never leaving his face. Despite the frown, Sunset grinned in reply.

"Only one way to find out!" Sunset optimistically stated, and pushed past Macedon into the training room.

* * *

"Ugh…. I definitely wasn't ready." Sunset moaned from the floor. Macedon gave a short laugh, and hid a smirk. The flying bots had pestered Sunset for another hour or so, but based on her experience from the first time, and now having two sabers, she didn't get shot nearly as much.

The same could not be said for her balance, however. She had fallen almost twice every few minutes, and the rare occasions she didn't, she subsequently got shot by one of the flying drones. Sunset currently was on the floor, after panicking and swinging wide to deflect a bolt, and had no intentions of getting back up. She slid the blindfold off her eyes, and took a few deep breaths.

"One more go? I want to point out something I think might help." Macedon asked as he stepped over to Sunset, and offered a hand to help her up.

The next twenty minutes went by with Macedon offering new pieces of information, and Sunset trying to fix whatever mistake it was intended to fix. Some were easy to right, while others tested the patience of both master and padawan. But overall, Sunset did better. She fell only a handful of times, and the blaster shots were rarely hitting their target.

"I must say, you do look like you feel more… in tune with your recent addition. Good work today. Go rest a while, you have earned it." Macedon commented as they prepared to leave. Sunset nodded, and joined another group of Padawans as they headed over to where her room was located.

Macedon watched them walk down the hall, before frowning once more, and began making his way to the Council room.

* * *

Luna walked into Sunset's room, not bothering to knock, and motioned for the startled girl to follow her. Sunset didn't argue, however, but winced as she swung her legs over the side of her bed to get up.

As the two walked, Sunset realized they were headed to Luna's training room. Sunset mentally prepared herself for another grueling session of training, and told herself she would get extra soup just for surviving this next time.

As they neared the private entrance, Luna looked around them for others passing by. Once the coast was clear, she placed a hand upon the hidden door. Again, Sunset felt that slight lull in the Force, and contemplated if it was the lack of Force that opened the door, or a small burst of the darkside that unlocked it.

"Today, I will test your endurance, physically and mentally. Are you ready?" Luna asked over her shoulder as they traversed the small corridor. Sunset sighed, but decided offering a complaint wouldn't help.

"I think so." Sunset replied, hoping the disappointment and reluctance she felt didn't show too much. As they neared the actual training area, Sunset froze, stunned by the drastic change in look. Instead of a smooth floor with little else around, there was now an obstacle course of sorts, the floor looked gravelly, and pillars and boulders littered the area around. Without any explanation, Luna used the Force to leap up to one of the pillars, and sat.

"I will offer little guidance here. I will let you choose where to start, where to end, and what rules will be in place. You may begin." Luna met Sunset's stunned gaze, as if judging her for not starting already. Sunset swallowed hard, and began studying the different obstacles, watching for anything, a pattern, an easy path, something. As she paced around, she thought on Luna's words as well.

Sunset paused, and glanced to where she assumed the end would be. She strode confidently towards it, not bothering with the course at all. She could feel Luna staring at her, but continued on. Out of nowhere, something in the Force frantically moved. Sunset had just enough time to register the warning, before a practice blade came swinging out of nowhere.

Sunset crouched under it, feeling the blade singe a few hairs, and dove to where she assumed the practice bot stood behind a boulder. As she recovered from her roll, she brought one of her Lightsabers up and across as well, expecting to hit the bot. The surprisingly fast block shook Sunset's arm, and she let out a small yelp. Sunset took a step back, and took a deep breath, eying the now visible bot in front of her. This was no ordinary bot.

It had the look of a standard training droid, but this one was sleek, like it was built for speed. It had a smaller frame, and it seemed that each joint was reinforced. As Sunset studied her opponent, another drastic shift in the Force warned her once more.

Sunset jumped, leaping over the blade aimed at her knee, and kicked out behind her, a trick she learned from Macedon. Her foot connected with the head of another droid, and it staggered back as she landed. Again the Force warned her, and this time, Sunset brought up both of her sabers, blocking the first bot's swing with a glowing X.

Still crouched from landing the jump, Sunset kicked out her leg again, connecting with the ankle of the bot. It crumpled to the floor, and Sunset took this chance to swing both sabers down, cleanly slicing the bot into three pieces. However, she failed to register another warning, and was rewarded with a sharp sting across her back.

"You must never lose concentration on your greatest asset." Luna called out as Sunset recovered. Sunset faced the second bot, and refocused on the Force around her, and realized she could sense their moves so easily because it was Luna herself making them move. The fact made more and more sense as she remembered she couldn't solely rely on the Force the first time she faced a training droid in this room.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset lunged, swinging one saber in a high arch, and the other across in front of her. The Force driven droid blocked the side blow, and spun unnaturally fast to avoid the next. Sunset grew increasingly annoyed with Luna, and it slowly turned into anger as the bot was saved from danger again. With a small scowl, Sunset mentally kicked herself for not doing this earlier.

With a gust of Force, the bot flew back against one of the pillars, before flying back the way it came, crumpling in a heap of metal in front of Sunset. To finish the display, Sunset drove one of her sabers through the top of the droid.

Huffing slightly, Sunset continued her walk to the end of the obstacle course, not bothering to look back at Luna.

"I reached the end." Sunset stated unceremoniously, and looked up at Luna. Said Jedi merely raised an eyebrow. Suddenly feeling uneasy, Sunset glanced around. When she didn't spot anything of concern, she glanced back up.

"This is an endurance test, Sunset. Again." The cold stare Luna had adorned sent shivers down Sunset's spine, and with rising dread, and not to mention anger, she silently made her way back to the beginning. It seems the rules from earlier did not apply anymore, and Sunset mentally kicked herself once more for getting cocky.

The next two hours, Sunset felt, were the two hardest hours of her life. Luna set rules in place that stacked the odds against her, and on the rare instance she did complete the course, she found herself facing another puzzle that stretched her mind to its limit and back. The course was filled with narrow crossings, slippery floors, falling patches, and a number of moving and all around dangerous parts. Much like her earlier practice, Sunset fell. A lot. But instead of thin mats, there was only the gravel like floor.

And as much as she wanted to deny it, Sunset's anger grew with each breath.

* * *

Meanwhile, Macedon stood once more in front of the council.

"I was not informed of this action, but I will not question Master Luna's wisdom in the matter. Being of the same form and a highly skilled Jedi herself, I trust her judgment." Jedi Master Celestia spoke, when informed about Sunset receiving a second Lightsaber.

"But if we may continue on to what we wished to speak with you about." Celestia continued after a small pause. Macedon merely nodded.

"We cannot deny that Sunset Shimmer is… acting strangely. Many have noticed her becoming angrier, especially since the, *ahem*, accident in the gardens." A few of the Masters shifted uncomfortably, but Celestia wasn't finished.

"Many also voice that it is odd she was the last to see the victim alive. We cannot deny that either." At this, Macedon interjected, startling everyone in the room.

"Are you implying that Sunset is the murderer?" silence filled the room. Master Twilight replied this time.

"Of course not! It is just something you need to be aware of, and understand why we are about to do what we are going to do. You see, most of us feel that Sunset needs to get away from the spotlight. And combined with the fact Sunset has had no real practice out in the field, we feel it is time you left the Temple grounds." Twilight explained, and Macedon grew less tense, and more curious.

"We have received multiple requests for help from the planet Therrien. Are you familiar with the system?" Master Twilight asked, as she brought up a small holographic map. It depicted the planet and its features, and showed general outlines of territory.

"Only slightly. A friend of mine used to live there, but moved once the civil war broke out." Macedon explained, and a few of the other Masters nodded.

"The side fighting for liberty have asked us for help, and we shall send some. You and Sunset, along with a small army of republic troops will be sent where the fighting is getting more intense. With neither side having well trained soldiers, you and your men shall tip the scales quite effectively." Master Celestia finished, before moving into the finer details of the operation.

 _ **A/N:**_ **so, chapter five done! Donuts for all! Seriously though, if you read this chapter, go grab yourself a donut. You've earned it.**

 **So, for anyone interested at all, I would be very grateful for any OC's, as I find making characters somewhat of a challenge. So if you want your OC in on this action, put some general info in a review or PM me. Even if you are a guest. It will let me sleep better at night.**

 **As always, hope you enjoyed, and let me know how I am doing! All comments are welcome!**


	6. Chapter 6 Another day Another death

It was late when Sunset managed to make it to her room. She was too exhausted to do anything other than face-plant onto her bed. Sleep took hold almost immediately, but the dreams she had were not pleasant.

She was awaken in the morning by Macedon's signature knock. She mumbled out something akin to a greeting, and slowly but surely sat up. Macedon opened the door to see her fall back onto her bed, no longer attempting to shoo away her tiredness. He gave a small snort of laughter, and held out his hand to her.

"Come on, Sunset. Time to get up. We have a rather important meeting to attend, and I'd rather not be late." He stepped back outside, and a few short moments later, Sunset walked out, looking somewhat less like a zombie. The duo walked for a few minutes more, until they reached a wing of the Temple Sunset had only been to once. This part of the Temple was dedicated to larger plans, specifically galactic planning, and where dealings with political groups took place. This was where the Republic joined with the Jedi order under one cause, and one banner.

As they walked, a number of personnel were running to and from stations, maps, controls, and communication links. One of the finer dressed, an officer from the Republic, waved the pair down.

"Master Macedon, Ms. Shimmer, please follow me. The meeting is being held in a room a little out of the way of the ruckus here." The officer set a slightly faster pace, and in a moment, the three were in a room filled with some of the Council members, a few Republic representatives and officers, and one, rugged looking man who was wearing what appeared to be makeshift armor.

"Macedon, Sunset, thank you for being here, this is the second-in-command of the freedom forces on Therrien, Seluthon." Celestia introduced the oddly clad figure, who nodded his head in greeting.

"He has brought some information, and also requests you leave with him, for the sooner you get there, the better. However, the Republic troops will not be assembled for another few days or so. Seluthon?" Celestia looked expectantly across the room as a map came to life on the table the assembled people were meeting around.

"Thank you, Master Celestia, as I have already spoken to a few of you about, we have been pressed hard. We have lost twice as much ground than hoped, simply because we do not have the numbers. Many are defecting to the other side, and many do not fight as well. We have one advantage though. We have control of the only military base on Therrien- there." A yellow circle drew itself around an area, and as the circle completed, the map changed to show the borders as well.

The freedom fighters had been hard pressed indeed, as they held only a fifth of the planet, most of which was on a large peninsula in the south. The yellow circle was in the middle, and the rest was marked as enemy territory.

"If we can hold here until the republic troops arrive, we can then launch a counter offensive, pushing up from the sides along the coast, and then pushing in and combining. The operations would be spear headed by myself and one of the jedi on one side, and the other Jedi along with General Zethos on the other." As he spoke, arrows and other animations followed with his description, showing the area of ground they wished to take back.

As the meeting dragged on, Sunset studied the map, and then quickly lost interest. She tried to focus on what was being said, but her mind was elsewhere. She jumped a little when Macedon nudged her with his elbow.

"C'mon. The meeting's over, we need to prepare to leave." Sunset nodded and gave a sheepish grin. She had lost track of time after memorizing the map and pinpointing the un-named cities shown. Macedon merely shook his head knowingly, but smiled.

"Can we go visit your brother before we go? We could he gone a long while without some of his soup…" Sunset asked innocently, hoping Macedon would be swayed enough by the soup. Macedon laughed, and turned to answer, when a Temple guard rushed past him, flying down the hall.

Macedon paused, and stared curiously after the running figure, and noticed a gathering of people farther down the hall. Sunset followed his gaze, and noticed the crowd as well. A pit formed in her stomach.

Without realizing what she was doing, Sunset sprinted off after the guard to where the crowd was standing in silence. She dimly heard Macedon's foot steps behind her as he raced to catch up.

As she neared the scene, Sunset dimly noticed strange, and even a few accusing glances cast at her. She did not care at the moment however. For on the floor, in a secluded corner, lay a young boy. With all the dread Sunset felt coming to a sudden crescendo, she recognized the fallen boy as one of the ones who had stopped at her room.

The one who seemed so awed by her, and the rumors surrounding her. Sunset stopped breathing. She choked back a sob, and only then, did she realize why everyone was staring at her. They couldn't possibly think _she_ did this, could they?

Sunset felt a firm hand on her shoulder, and Macedon whirled her around, and marched her away from the scene. As they walked, her knees began to shake, and a few tears rolled from her eyes. Macedon's voice shook a little as he spoke.

"Don't look. Don't think. We are leaving. It will be ok. Take a deep breath. Deep breaths…" Sunset could hear him still speaking, but was no longer listening to the words. She was focusing on a certain Jedi master, who stood with no emotion on her face. Luna made eye contact with Sunset, and something flashed across her eyes. Sunset didn't bother to acknowledge it, and refocused on walking away from the scene, even as more guards and Jedi rushed the way they had come from.

* * *

Sunset walked about the transport, tailing Macedon, who was conversing with Seluthon. The previous days events still racked Sunset's mind and emotions, though a solemn trip to a certain soup shop did help a little. As they stepped deeper inside the shuttle, Sunset tried to focus on the interior to keep her mind occupied. It was much different than a Republic shuttle, the interior was darkly colored and rather dimly lit. Tiny lights lined panels and switches, and each held a small diagnostics screen. Each showed a green bar, so Sunset assumed they were all in good order.

A few shuttle personnel wandered past, a few of the more friendly offered waves or smiles. Sunset tried her best to give a smile back, but her mind still lingered on the dark events of yesterday. The trio made it to the cockpit, and Seluthon took the head pilot position. Macedon was given the co-pilot seat, and Sunset chose to sit in what appeared to be a communications station. There was a vacant seat next to her, and for that Sunset was a little glad.

Seluthon gave a small warning over the comm, they were a minute from departure. A few moments later, another person joined them. He gave a small greeting and slid into the seat next to Sunset and buckled in. Sunset decided it was probably best to copy his actions. He gave her a small smile.

"First time on a shuttle?" he asked in a soft voice. Sunset shook her head.

"No, but my first time going past the atmosphere. I've never left the planet before." The man shared a knowing glance with Macedon and Seluthon.

"Then you are in for a treat, Seluthon drives like a drunk!" Everyone laughed, except Sunset, who paled, and suddenly wished she were not on the shuttle headed off-world. Before she could move to make a run for the exit, the shuttle shuddered, and began rising from the launch bay.

In a matter of minutes, they were flying through the air, headed out to the vacuum of space. Sunset may have screamed as they broke through the atmosphere, and only might have screamed a little louder when the shuttle jumped to lightspeed.

* * *

 _ **A/**_ **N: this chapter is a little shorter than I was hoping, but there is going to be some big stuff happening. I wont lie, I was really debating to kill the kid or not, but the anonymous people I asked all chose option 2, which was the kid. (Don't you just love chance?)**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoyed, and if you feel the urge, leave a comment, fav it, follow it, or shout out random swears because I had to kill off another random character. (My new personal favorite, "** _ **dear merciful moon monkeys"**_ **) until next time friends!**


	7. Chapter 7: Sunset goes berserk wat

It was raining. Hard. Sunset huddled close to a small fire wrapped in her robes along with Seluthon and a few other officers, some from the Republic forces that had arrived earlier.

It had been a week since they had gotten to Therrien, and the next day, Sunset and Macedon had to go to their respective outposts to help lead the counter-offensive. But not before he had pulled her aside, and given her a small bundle.

The first thing inside, was a small firearm, and while Macedon explained a Jedi doesn't use blasters often, you could never be too careful. The second thing in the bundle was another canister of soup.

Sunset was currently eating some in an attempt to negate the dreary feel of the rain, and listening in on Seluthon argue with a few officers over the whole plan.

A comm unit gave out a loud, shrill beep, which startled everyone.

"Seluthon, Sir! The enemy are marching up on our defenses, and some new guy is leading them. Never seen 'im before. Hooded, confident. But we could use some help up here." No one moved for a second, before everyone jumped to action, except Sunset. Officers began moving out into the rain, shouting for everyone to gear up. Seluthon all but teleported to the comm, and pressed a few buttons.

"Thank you, sergeant, we are mobilizing out to you now. I will come ahead with our Jedi friend, and we will see this new guy for ourselves." Sunset groaned. She didn't want to leave the fire, or the soup… but war is hell, as they say.

Within minutes, the two and a few other nervous looking soldiers were on a small transport out to the forward most outpost. No one spoke.

The shuttle came to a rough stop, and everyone jumped to move out, Seluthon in the lead, with Sunset close behind.

In a few short minutes, they were on the top floor of the walls that separated Tyranny and Freedom. Seluthon, Sunset, and the sergeant were the only ones visible to the enemy as they stood silently, waiting, taking in the rain.

The opposing force stood in neat battle lines, each in a matching armor set, and identical blasters. The sheer number surprised all watching from within the walls. If this turned south, it was going to be bloody.

Pacing in front of the mass of troops, was a dark clad man. Dark armor, a dark cape, all brought together by an helmet with complex designs along the sides. Sunset felt a strong falter in the Force around her, this man was definitely Sith. He paused in his pacing, looking to where the three fighters stood.

"Ah, Seluthon, I heard you would be here. Care to come and start working out your surrender? There are lots of…technicalities that need to be addressed. My master sent me here to get rid of you at any means, why not talk first, and point the weapons later?" he shouted up to the trio. Seluthon snorted.

"Your words have some merit, but sadly, I must decline. We do not surrender to the play-toys of our enemies. Be gone, and spare the lives of your own men." Seluthon's reply was echoed by the defenders, who shouted as one in their own reply. The Sith laughed.

"Your courage is turning into foolishness. But so be it. I will give you one last chance to end this with little bloodshed. Send out a champion from among your men! Let us see who is of greater skill." The Sith crossed his arms, and waited. Seluthon narrowed his eyes, and walked away from the open area. The walls were silent as he passed, and Sunset raced to catch up with him.

"You know how this will end, we either engage them or run." Sunset commented quietly once she caught up with the long-striding commander. He turned to face her, but sighed.

"I know. That is why I am going to forbid anyone from going out there and getting themselves killed. That captain has a strange air about him. I have a feeling he fights dirty." Sunset decided not to comment.

After barely twenty minutes of waiting, the rain was beginning to lighten up, as was the Sith Captains patience. He called out once more, in a bit louder voice.

"What is your reply? If you do not respond within the hour, I will have no choice but to begin an assault. Wh-" the Sith was interrupted by an enraged Seluthon.

"Silence! I have had enough of you sugar coating. I will come down and kill you myself if you don't stop talking." The sudden outburst was met with silence. Complete and utter silence. It was then Sunset realized it had stopped raining, she had been to focused on the situation to notice it slowly die down to a drizzle before completely leaving.

The silence was broken by laughter, and everyone's new favorite Sith Warrior was the culprit.

"Ha, you? You have no idea just what I am capable of. What are you going to do, shoot at me?" the Sith kept up his mockery, but Sunset tuned it out. Instead, she followed the once more hastily moving Seluthon to the ground floor, and stopped him in front of the small gate leading outwards.

"Seluthon, wait! You can't go out there!" Seluthon spun around, an odd splash of anger overcoming his normally go-happy face.

"And why not? Do you underestimate me?" he asked defensively. Who was a padawan, to tell him what to do? Sunset shook her head, however.

"No, because I overestimate _his._ That captain is Sith. He would kill you before you drew any sort of weapon. And who would take your place if you died? Besides, him being a Sith makes this Jedi business. So let me handle this." The anger suddenly fell away from Seluthon, replaced by a stressful and weary look. But it was his turn to shake his head.

"Your master would kill me if I let you go out there. Besides, you are only a padawan!" Seluthon exclaimed, though his persuasion had little sway over Sunsets mind. She smiled with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Do you underestimate me?" Sunset echoed the earlier comment, and Seluthon groaned, placing a hand over his face. He muttered something, and sighed.

"fine. But if you die, I'll kill you again." He stated, and with a large frown, signaled for the gate to be opened.

"Oh? And what is this? They send a little farm girl to face me?" The Sith commented as Sunset strode up across the muddy field. She narrowed her eyes at him as he removed his helmet.

"Well little girl, I hope you have some fight in you. Wouldn't want this to be too quick of a duel. A shame too. Your pretty, for a rebel." He gave her a wicked and twisted smile, before menacingly igniting the red lightsaber he had at his side. Sunset hardened her resolve, and brought out the saber she kept on her belt, previously hidden to the Sith. His eyes narrowed as well as the purple blade came to life.

"A shame indeed. You're pretty ugly, for a Sith." Sunset taunted. Sunset felt her confidence waver slightly as that twisted smile slowly came back to life. The Force screamed at her to move.

Sunset jumped, leaping over the Sith as he lunged, and landed on her feet. Mud splashed, sizzling on the two lightsabers. The Sith spun around, swinging fast, hoping for a quick hit. With a short flick, Sunset parried, using the momentum of his swing to propel his blade across and wide, exposing his back. As she brought her saber close, the Sith copied her, and jumped, flipping behind her.

Unlike him, however, Sunset didn't swing wildly, but pivoted, and parried again. The Sith growled, and tried once more to get through her guard. He stepped forward, thrusting in a short, but deadly, window. Sunset knocked it aside and stepped forward as well, and shoved the now enraged Sith back, using the Force to push him further. He slid back in the mud, and dropped to one knee, sticking his free hand in the mud to try and control his movement.

He slid to a stop after a few yards, and stood up, studying Sunset.

"What is your name girl?" Sunset paused at his sudden question. Might as well entertain him.

"Sunset Shimmer. And your name, Sith?" Sunset had asked the question out of habit, but didn't regret the precious few seconds it bought for her to catch her breath.

"Darth Korata. You fight well. But I am getting impatient. Let's end this quickly." And with that, Korata flung himself at Sunset, swinging in a hectic combination that Sunset had a little trouble keeping up with. She was lucky enough to not get hit by anything, but she was giving ground, with no sign of stopping.

It was when she was about to bring out her second saber in a last-ditch attempt when she saw the pattern. It was a seemingly random series of swings and cuts, but there was a pattern. Anticipating the next swing, Sunset parried with a flourish, instead of simply blocking the red blade back. She followed the blade, and pressed into Korata with her shoulder, sending him a few steps back, before launching a series of attacks herself.

She could see the sudden panic in Darth Korata's eyes as he found himself on the defensive. He was giving ground a lot slower than Sunset had, but he was losing ground nonetheless. Without any warning, Sunset felt a rushing wave of anger wash over her.

Anger over the deaths in the temple, for Luna being a psychotic teacher, to the fact people thought that she had done the killings, everything Sunset had ever felt angry about, came to mind. Sunset didn't even try to hold back. The rush of adrenaline and power flowed through her, and she found herself literally beating Korata into the ground.

He was on one knee, red saber raised, and fear in his eyes. But he had one last option, which he greedily took. He kicked out his leg, tripping Sunset, and she let out an angry cry as she fell into the mud. It had begun to rain again.

The sizzling of rain hitting the lightsabers was drowned out by Sunset's scream of rage as she flung herself at Darth Korata, second saber appearing in her hand without even a whisper of thought. The fear in his eyes urged her on as she swung.

The next scream to be heard was one of pain and fear. With one swing, Sunset severed his arm at the elbow and pulled the swing down to slice his saber into pieces, and with another subconscious movement, found herself looking into the lifeless eyes of the dead Sith. Sunset pulled her second saber from where it had pierced Darth Korata's heart, and watched as his form fell limp into the mud.

She stood there, frozen. She did not stop because she realized she had lost control, nor because this was the first life she had ever taken, not to the sudden lack of adrenaline or power, but because she was afraid.

She was afraid, because deep down, in the darkest reaches of her being, she enjoyed it.

 _ **A/N:**_ **chapter seven done. *confetti***

 **So, with that last line, I was trying to figure out how to end this chapter, and thought of that. As soon as I did, I knew it had to be the way to finish, but at the same time, it sent shivers down my spine just thinking down that train of thought. Fun times…. Anyways. Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoy writing this.**


	8. Chapter 8: Some filler for now, yes?

Rain continued to pelt the ground once more as the area stood in quiet shock. The soldiers that had gathered to assault the walls shifted nervously, unsure of what to do. The soldiers defending the walls were all containing their roars of approval, though they had little idea of what this event actually meant.

And in the middle, stood a still frozen Sunset Shimmer, jedi padawan, and now, warrior. The sizzle of the rain evaporating on contact with her sabers is what brought her out of her trance. With shaky hands, she returned her Lightsabers to their respective places, and took a few shaky steps towards the mass of troops that stood before her.

An officer was shoved out to meet her, and he walked as a scared mouse would. He shifted his gaze between his dead captain, and the one responsible.

"A-allow me t-to offer you our surrender, m-ma'm." the officer managed to stutter out, as he removed his helmet and bowed low, a sign of submission and respect on Therrien.

Someone, somewhere on the walls began cheering. And soon, the noise of the rain was drowned out by the ecstatic crowd as they welcomed Sunset and the surrendered army through the gate. A few called out among the noise.

"For the Lioness of Therrien!"

* * *

The celebration of the first real rebel victory lasted the whole next day, and seeing as many of the surrendered men freely joined the Freedom Fighters ranks, the celebration was big indeed. Sunset smiled little however, and was off trying to find solitude, a great deal of the time. It seemed the nickname of "Lioness" had stuck, though she lost the pride in bearing it in a short time. One of the rare occasions she did smile, however, was when a small transport had landed.

Macedon, along with General Zetho's, had come to join the fun.

Macedon had found her, hiding in a storage room, meditating.

"What are you doing here, oh Lioness? Shouldn't you be outside enjoying the party?" Macedon asked, leaning against the door frame. Sunset jumped up and whirled around, eyes wide, with an even wider smile on her face. She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Startled, Macedon grunted at the sudden impact, but returned the hug. When Sunset broke away, however, she was no longer smiling.

"Have you heard about what happened?" she asked quietly. Macedon shook his head.

"Very little, except that a Sith was involved and you are now a champion among the men." Macedon eyed his padawan as she slumped at his reply, but waited patiently for her to go on. Sunset looked back up to him, guilt, and the barest trace of fear in her eyes. That wasn't good.

"i-, I lost control. I let my anger take over, and- I, I killed him. I never meant to kill him. I didn't want to kill him. I _shouldn't_ have killed him, but I did. Because I let myself slip. I don't know what to do anymore…" Sunset trailed off as her eyes watered. She sniffed, and wiped a tear that escaped. Macedon simply pulled her into another hug, and said nothing for a few long moments.

"was it quick?" he asked, barely in a whisper.

"Yes." Sunset replied, yet her voice waivered again in the short word.

"Then it was at least as merciful a death as you could give him. I was going to show you later, but it looks like you could use the distraction. I got a message from the Temple, specifically from Corinth. I will leave you to it. Come find me afterwards, ok?" he asked, and Sunset nodded. Macedon handed her a small, almost paper thin tablet, and stepped quietly out of the room. He had a lot to think about now as well.

* * *

Two weeks later, it was raining once more, but Sunset didn't mind. She was in a relatively good mood. The war was going very well for the freedom fighters, and every few days she got a new message from Corinth.

She decided she liked Corinth. He was nice, and a little humorous. And he did help her out, which, Sunset realized, she never actually thanked him for. Not to mention she thought it was really sweet he continued to send the little hologram messages.

She would have to get to know him better once they were done on Therrien. Sunset's thoughts were interrupted by Macedon knocking on the doorframe to her makeshift room.

"I got a message from the council, they are sending another legion of Republic troops, and they are calling us home. We leave in two days. In a way, I'm glad to be leaving the battlefield, but at the same time, I don't want to leave the people behind." He informed her softly when she looked up.

"Well, maybe once all this is cleared up we can come back and visit a while." Sunset offered hopefully. Macedon gave a sad smile, and nodded.

"Go ahead and pack your things, with any luck, the next few days won't hold any surprises." Macedon walked off, saying something about informing General Zethos and Seluthon. Sunset looked around her barren room, and without any ceremony, tossed the thin message pad onto her cot.

"I'm done packing, at least…" she muttered, and stared out her open door into the rain.

* * *

"You just had to jinx it, didn't you?" Sunset called, as she dodged and deflected blaster fire. Macedon didn't reply, instead opting to deflect a stray bolt.

It was early in the morning, and the enemy had decided to launch a surprise attack, and it unfortunately worked. Dozens of the brave fighters that Sunset had come to regard as brothers now lay dead, and many were injured, yet many more fought on against the sudden attack. One such man called out a warning.

"Berserker!"

Sunset swore under her breath. The fanatical zeal of the enemy's shock troops scared even Macedon, who quickly bounded to where the shout had come from. He could handle one or two by himself, and Sunset still had to cover this area, so she stayed put, shouting encouragement to the men around her. It just so happened that her luck kept getting worse, as Sunset spotted two of the said shock troops ran over a small rise in the ground. Each held a long, katana like energy blade, and where outfitted with some kind of experimental armor that was able to shrug off most blaster shots. Key word there being most.

Sunset had the small handgun Macedon had given her so long ago up and firing in an instant, now very glad that Seluthon had a few men teach her how to handle it properly. Two soldiers next to her copied her actions, and focused their slightly outdated blasters at the two charging fanatics.

The trio were able to drop one of the vicious warriors, but the second closed the gap. The two men dove to the sides, as she drew one of her sabers, using the other hand to quickly holster her small firearm. The Berserker yelled a challenge, and swung in a wide arc.

While the zeal and dedication to the tyrannical lord they served was there, the Berserkers lacked any real skill with the blades they carried. They were effective when placed anywhere in the battle a jedi wasn't, able to cleave through men until a blaster shot overcame the armor they wore, but against anyone with a fraction of the training Sunset had, they were goners.

With a simple flick, Sunset knocked the dark energy blade aside, and sliced across his chest. The fanatic fell with a disbelieving look, before his eyes dulled.

The little area Sunset was stationed at got a brief rest from the fighting, and she gratefully sat behind a makeshift bunker, hastily set up in the earlier stages of the battle. Soon after, the captain of the Therrien troops joined, as did Macedon.

"I don't know how you trained this girl, but she is as good with that pistol of hers as she is with those two sabers. Better than me, that's for sure." The captain commented as he sat down, letting out a relieved sigh after he relaxed. Macedon raised an eyebrow in her direction, to which Sunset merely shrugged.

"It wasn't easy, she had a tendency to be a bit rebellious early on. At least until she got beat down by another padawan who had half the training she did." Sunset scowled at the two of them while Macedon and the captain shared a laugh. The trio sat in silence for a while, taking in the small respite, and, Sunset noted, the men seemed to copy them.

They sat in various places, sitting in their own groups and talked quietly among themselves. But even though all seemed well for the moment, many cast glances between the three higher-ups and the direction the enemy had come from. Everyone was expecting to have to jump back into the fray at a moments notice, ending their rest with blaster fire.

Their rest ended shortly, but in the form of a messenger.

A younger man jogged up to the scene, his clothes muddied and worn, but he had a sense of urgency to his movements. He spotted Macedon, and hurried over.

"Master Macedon, sir. I have some good news and some bad news. The enemy have fallen back, and don't seem to be preparing for another assault, but…" he trailed off, his eyes wandering to the closest groups of soldiers, who were trying not to act interested in his arrival.

"But?" Macedon asked in a hushed tone. The messenger took a deep breath.

"General Zethos is injured pretty bad, and no one has heard anything from Seluthon since the beginning of the attack."

 _ **A/N:**_ **so, this chapter is a tad late, my apologies. I have tons of excuses, but you probably don't want to hear them. I felt like this chapter was a bit lacking on normal quality, but that's what school does I guess.**

 **Thank you for sticking with me this far, and if you feel compelled to do so, let me know how I am doing!**


	9. Chapter 9: bounty for your thoughts?

Seluthon sat down, breathing heavily. With the communications knocked out, he wasn't able to warn anyone about the sudden onslaught. He hoped the others fared better than he had.

The few survivors from the forward outpost huddled around him, casting weary and defeated glances around the carnage from the battle. Slowly, a few more joined them. All stunned and quiet from the battle, grouping in the only place not completely devastated form the fighting.

Seluthon was surprised at how many shuffled in, some by themselves, others in small groups, and a few bringing injured soldiers as well. Seluthon himself had taken a bolt to his side, but it had only managed to hold him down a moment.

The loud, distinct noise of a drop ship was heard, and most of the assembled troops gazed upwards. A small number of ships flew into view, and circled overhead, before one by one, they landed.

Sunset was the first one out of the ship, and as tired as she was, ran over to where Seluthon was sitting. Behind her, Macedon was shouting orders.

"oh thank the Force you are alright! When no one heard from you, everyone thought you had fallen." Sunset exclaimed, laying a hand on his shoulder. Seluthon gave a sad smile.

"I was lucky enough to make it through one more battle, but it was not one I want to repeat. We lost a lot of good men. How bad were the others hit?" he asked, concern taking over his features. He tried to stand up, but he winced, his hand straying to his wounded side as he sat back down. He was hit a bit worse than he thought.

"Not as hard as here. General Zethos was hit pretty bad, but they held. Everyone held the line." Sunset informed him, and Seluthon sighed in relief. He had prepared himself for the worst, and was glad he had been proven wrong.

* * *

The next day was bright and sunny, with few clouds. Sunset thought it was and odd day to say goodbyes on. The Republic reinforcements were landing and moving out to their designated areas. Every now and then, Sunset would see a Therrian soldier stop and wave at her, troops she had fought alongside often stopped to shake her hand. And lastly, Seluthon met her and Macedon right before boarding the shuttle back to the Jedi Temple.

"Well Lioness, I can't thank you enough for what you have done for me and my countrymen. I hope we will meet again someday. And take care of Macedon, he was acting as old as I was this morning." The three shared one last laugh, before saying their final goodbyes.

As the ship lifted off the ground, the only thing Sunset felt was sorrow for leaving her new found companions behind.

* * *

On the return trip, Sunset was feeling a bit uneasy. She paced around her quarters, restless and anxious. Macedon was Co-pilot, so he hadn't been down to talk to her the past few hours. Sunset saw her little bundle of belongings, and caught sight of a strip of familiar material. Reaching out with the Force, Sunset grabbed hold of the holster that held the small blaster.

Holding it brought more memories of the Therrian soldiers to mind, so she placed it on her hip, getting some comfort from the familiar feel of it. She had only worn it for her time on Therrian, but only now did she realize she felt incomplete without it.

A small light flashed from her bundle, the small message tablet coming to life with a flash. Another message from Corinth, she guessed. Despite the uneasy feeling still persisting in her gut, Sunset smiled. She sat down on her cot, grabbing the little tablet, navigating the system to find the new message. A loud shout stopped her before she could open it.

"Stop him!"

Sunset was up in an instant, a lightsaber in one hand, and the side arm in the other. Her door hissed open for a split second, and a small metal sphere was tossed into her small room. Sunset's eyes widened as the grenade flashed red. Without a second to waste, Sunset grabbed the small explosive in the Force, and let her instincts take over, closing her eyes.

A few more seconds passed, and nothing happened. Peeking one eye open, she smiled inwardly, surprised at herself. The grenade now hung suspended in dozens of tiny parts, and Sunset let them fall harmlessly to the floor, and lunged off her cot towards the door.

As it hissed open to let her into the hallway, a squad of Republic troopers ran passed, and Sunset joined them without hesitation.

"What is going on?" Sunset asked the soldier in front of her, who seemed relieved to have her show up.

"Bounty hunter snuck aboard, he's killed two already, and Macedon is hurt. Tried to blow up the cockpit." The trooper tried to say something else, but Sunset was already pulling ahead, quickly taking point of the squad, and asking where the bounty hunter had gone. The lead trooper pointed her left, and Sunset surged ahead, anger building up from hearing Macedon was injured.

Ignoring the troopers shouts, Sunset lost them and soon caught up with the bounty hunter. The alien before her was _giant_. It towered over her by at least a foot and a half, and four arms protruded from its sides, all sporting muscles the size of Sunset's head.

Regret at leaving the troopers in the dust instantly washed over her, but Sunset refused to back down. She holstered her fire arm in exchange for her second saber, igniting the twin purple weapons as she called out a warning.

"Surrender, before things get ugly." Sunset tried to put as much intimidation into her voice as possible, but assumed she failed when the Bounty Hunter laughed.

"Out of my way, puny Jedi, or I will squash you like I did him." He replied in a deep voice, and one of his limbs gestured behind him. A Republic trooper was slumped against the wall, unmoving and quiet. Sunset narrowed her eyes, studying her opponent, not quite sure how to take him down best. He decided for her by charging.

Sunset didn't have a lot of room to maneuver around, especially wielding two lightsabers, all she could do was spin, narrowly avoiding being pummeled into the ground. She lunged after the alien, his back turned to her. He must have done this many times, because with practiced fluidity, he pulled two blasters from his belt, and began firing blindly behind him.

Sunset halted her lunge, deflecting the streaks of energy, backing up to allow just a smidge more time to react. Two blasters were no problem. Sunset was glad Macedon had put together that grueling training course with six bots, two now seemed like a piece of cake. And then the Bounty Hunter turned around, drawing another two blasters.

Sunset swore, cursing her bad luck, and was irritated to hear the alien chuckle. Without warning, the Bounty Hunter shouted in rage, and turned to face the hallway Sunset had come from. The squad of troopers had finally caught up, and already three singed rings marked the Bounty Hunter's back. Sunset was shocked when he didn't show signs of slowing.

With friendly soldiers in front of her, Sunset had to be more careful where she deflected the blaster shots to. A cruel smile graced her lips as she deflected the Bounty Hunter's shots back at him, and wide shots from the troopers were sent into his side as well.

The alien lurched sideways, a grim look in his eyes, knowing he was defeated, he dropped one of his blasters, and grabbed a small object from his belt. He raised his thumb, and Sunset let instinct gain control once more. She felt a saber fly from her hand, and watched as it sailed through the narrow corridor, leaving glowing singes on the metal until it sliced clean through the detonator. The Bounty Hunter roared in pain as the blade passed through his hand, and he made no more motions to do anything other than stay where he sat.

Sunset stalked over to him, and with a small hand motion, Forced her saber back to her hand. She stopped in front of the downed alien, who stared down at the floor.

"I yield, jedi. I am beaten." He rasped, his voice seemed heavier and more labored. He was close to passing out from the pain and shock, but he held consciousness. Sunset gave a dark look, and the troopers around her glanced uneasily amongst one another. With an odd orange glint in her usually teal eyes, Sunset lifted the Bounty Hunter off his feet with the Force, and slammed him up against the wall.

Without out realizing fully what she was doing, Sunset began choking the alien, staring into his fear filled eyes.

"You tried to kill me, and my master. You killed Republic soldiers, and fought when given the chance of surrender. And now you yield? Expect me to arrest you? You had your chance." Sunset raised one of her sabers, ready to strike, when another Republic trooper ran into the hallway.

"Sunset, mam, Macedon has regained consciousness, and is demanding to see you." He stated, throwing confused glances around the assembled group.

Sunset snapped back from her rage, dropping the Bounty Hunter to the floor, and spun on her heel to face the new arrival. Suddenly, the weight and realization of what had just happened dawned on her, and she slowly turned back to the groaning figure on the ground.

"Get him secured, and something to heal him up. Where is Macedon?" she asked, and was met by the confused glances of the troops around her, surprised by her sudden change in mood. The one who brought the news of Macedon pointed her to where he was being tended to, and Sunset slowly walked down the hall. She could feel the eyes follow her until she was out of sight.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to clear her mind, Sunset slowed her pace, contemplating on why she kept losing her control. The answer was either elusive, or something inside of Sunset kept it hidden. Sighing in defeat, the troubled padawan continued her trek through the ship to where Macedon waited.

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hey guys, another chapter down, and some more soon on the way! I'd like to apologize for the lasts few chapters, I felt they were lacking in quality, so hopefully this one will be better. Let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoyed reading!**


	10. Chapter 10: Reporters, who knew?

The shuttle set down gently, and a small entourage of crewmen met Sunset and Macedon as they walked down the ramp. Behind them came the bounty hunter, flanked by the Republic soldiers.

Macedon and Sunset didn't look at each other, their argument from earlier still stung, though neither would admit it. When Sunset had gone to answer Macedon's summons, their conversation had turned south, but the feeling of being home lifted the tension just a little, and Sunset felt her masters hand rest on her shoulder.

Sunset tensed up a little, and hoped Macedon didn't notice. Standing a ways away from the main landing area were a few Jedi, which Sunset quickly turned her attention to. She saw the Jedi Masters Celestia and Twilight, as well as a smiling Corinth, and a gentle looking woman Sunset concluded was his master stood to Corinth's left. Breaking from the group to go towards them, Macedon and Sunset were stopped by a swarm of reporters, seemingly appearing out of thin air, and soon, the docking crew surrounded them as well.

Macedon just smiled and waved, pushing through the crowd, slowly but surely making his way to the small group of Jedi. Reporters were shouting over one another, trying to get some sort of information out of the duo. Suddenly, Macedon caught Sunsets eye, and a mischievous glint passed across his gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, and a split second later she realized what he was going to do.

"Please, calm down everyone. I'm sorry, but I must give my report to the Jedi council members present, but I'm sure my padawan would love to answer some questions if you do it a bit more orderly."

Sunset really didn't like Macedon sometimes…

"What kind of resistance did you face on Therrien!"

"How many casualties do you estimate were taken on both sides?"

"What were the conditions like?"

"We heard that a Bounty Hunter tried to take over your shuttle, can you give us the details?"

"Do you feel good to be home?"

Sunset thought she was getting a headache earlier, but now her brain was throbbing from all the questions being thrown her way. She held up her hand, and the questions slowly faded down.

"I will say this, and this only. On Therrien, there went any reporters." A collective laugh was Sunsets rather unexpected reply from the group around her now.

Half an hour later, Sunset was finally able to break free of the mass, surprised to find everyone still waiting patiently, Corinth and Macedon sporting grins, and the three women either hiding their own, or giving sympathetic looks. Sunset punched Macedon's arm, and scowled.

"Next time, you handle the crazed media." She stated with a huff. Macedon gave her a warm smile, it seemed the tension form earlier was fading away.

"You took it pretty well, I think. I mean, you survived Therrien, a Sith, and a Bounty Hunter without me, you can handle a few measly reporters!" he gave a small laugh, and Sunset smiled despite herself, but their joke was cut short.

"Sith? We haven't heard anything about that happening. We will discuss it later, though. For now, let's get you two to the Temple, I'm sure it is good to be back, but better to be in your own rooms for at least a while." Grand Master Celestia commented, and the group moved towards another, smaller shuttle that would lift them to the Temple. Suddenly, Sunset was reminded of the after effects of all of those encounters, her loss of control, and she hung back a little, deep in thought. Corinth slowed down and walked next to her, a questioning glance in his eyes.

"What's up?" he asked, trying to stay casual. Sunset gave him a reassuring smile, and shook her head.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." She could tell Corinth didn't buy it, but he didn't say anything right away. They walked in silence, both awkwardly trying not to look at the other. Occasionally they would make eye contact for a split second before quickly turning their gazes elsewhere. Sunset decided to break the silence, realizing something she had neglected to do.

"Hey, uh, thanks." She stated lamely, and cursed herself for such a pathetic conversation starter.

"For helping me out, before I left for Therrien, I mean. And for the messages you sent, not that they weren't welcome, but I realized I hadn't thanked you for the other thing yet and-" Sunset stopped her rambling explanation short, seeing Corinth on the verge of laughing.

"y-you're quite welcome." He stated, stuttering as he kept his laughter in check. Sunset hit his arm.

"Stop laughing at me! I'm not good with these sentimental things." She defended, and that sent Corinth over the edge, bursting out with a loud laugh. Sunset blushed, and glowered at her fellow padawan, who only laughed harder.

"s-sorry, I'll s-stop…" Corinth struggled to retain his composure, a big grin still plastered on his face. Sunset punched him again for good measure. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Macedon lean over and whisper something into Corinth's masters ear, who giggled, and placed a hand over her mouth.

They had heard everything. Sunset blushed even harder, and punched Corinth in the arm for the third time, dimly hearing a "what was that for?" from him.

 _ **A/N**_ **: hey guys, sorry this is really late, and really short, but I'm going to attempt to do the NaNoWriMo challenge, a 50,000 word novel writing challenge for any and all in November. I am shooting for at least 15,000 words, I think I might explode if I actually got more than 30,000… but because of that, I probably wont be working on this for a while…. So yeah…. anyways, hope you enjoyed this little change of pace, and give a thanks to smartrobert00 for giving me some great advice and input on how to write "fluffier" scenes. If you haven't read his stuff, go give it a chance and show him some support.**


	11. Chapter 11 Return to normalities

Macedon and Sunset stood before the Council, ready to give them an official report of the happenings on Therrien. After the initial rush of finally being home had worn off, Sunset was tired, too tired to talk to the Council, and too tired to remember all of the details of the past few months. She could tell that some of the members seated around them were staring at the small side-arm still clipped to her hip, and for some reason it annoyed her.

"So, I believe it will be best to start from the beginning, and work our way into the finer details from there, instead of focusing on one major point right now. Macedon, if you wouldn't mind?" Celestia started, before motioning for Macedon to begin. Sunset zoned out, losing all sense of time. Her eyes were glued to the floor, and were half closed when Macedon gently nudged her. Snapping back to reality, Sunset looked up at Macedon who raised an eyebrow.

"Go ahead, you can tell them about the Sith you faced on Therrien." Feeling her face grow hot, Sunset cleared her throat, and looked at the floor for another second before starting.

"Right, um, his name was Darth Korata, he dressed darky and wore some sort of armor, and he was rather trained with his Lightsaber. He challenged the defenders to send out a champion, and I took it upon myself to go, since I assumed him being Sith made it Jedi business. He dueled, and I…*ahem* bested him." Dark memories were brought to the front of her mind as she spoke, and it took all of her willpower not to wince before the Council members. A few nods, curious looks, and thoughtful frowns showed around the room. Sunset briefly made eye contact with Master Luna, who nodded ever so slightly, and had an almost prideful gleam in her eye. Almost. Sunset shivered.

"You said he was trained, and you bested him, forgive me for saying this, but how exactly _did_ you beat him? No Sith that we have knowledge of would openly go into battle at your skill level, no offense to your own skills of course, it is just unusual." Jedi Master Rainbow Dash asked curiously. Her aggressive nature and skill with her saber were near legendary among the padawans. Sunset felt her mouth go dry.

"I fought with only one saber at first, and he probably would have won, but I guess the force took over, I could anticipate his next swing, footstep, everything, and then I turned it against him."

"And you subdued him? Why then, is he not here, answering questions as well?" another Master asked, this one Rarity. Sunset didn't know a lot about her, but she didn't like her at this point.

"He… passed." Sunset said awkwardly, not meeting the eyes of anyone in the room. She could feel all of the stares on her, a thick blanket that was getting too warm.

"You killed him?" Master Rainbow pressed, her voice turning a bit surprised.

"Yes." Sunset said quietly. There was silence for a long moment. No one moved, no one spoke, it seemed no one breathed. Celestia calmly broke the silence.

"You know very well that is highly, unfavorable, Sunset Shimmer. You may return to your room, and stay there until you are further called upon. We have other matters to discuss now." The order was given softly, yet offered no room for argument. Sunset bowed, still refusing to meet the gazes of those seated around her, nor Macedon's.

It was a slow trek to her room, and it was a surprisingly quiet walk as well. She expected dozens of Jedi to be roaming the halls, yet they were few and far between. The more she walked, the more Sunset missed the comradery of the Therrien troops she had left behind.

Sunset opened the door to her room, feeling awkward and frowning at the hiss of the door. It felt weird to be back. Stepping inside, she saw everything was normal, at least from what she could tell. Sher bed was made, and there was no dust anywhere to be found, her small box of belongings sat up against the wall opposite her bed, silent and indifferent to its owners return. Something was off.

Running a hand along the wall, Sunset manually switched the lights off, which had come on automatically when she had walked in. She had gotten lucky, as her room had a window, which she opened in favor of the sunlight over the artificial glow. That helped a little, but something still felt off, like something was missing. Her room felt unfamiliar, and Sunset found herself missing the nights of sharing stories on the frontlines by a blazing fire instead of flood-lights and cushions lined with wide-eyed padawans.

That was it. She missed the wide open feel of that rugged planet. Therrien. Sunset silently vowed she would return, one day.

A few hours passed, in which Sunset spent most of that time trying to sleep. The land of dreams eluded her, and sleep hesitated to embrace her in the unfamiliar and enclosed space of her room. It resulted in a very grouchy, and not very alert Sunset. Sighing, Sunset sat up, stretched, and gave up on sleep. She wanted nothing more than to leave her room, made less bearable by the orders to stay within, and simply wander the halls. A soft knock came from her door, which Sunset was tempted to ignore.

"May I come in?" a voice called from beyond the door, just as soft as the knock had been. Surprise quickly taking over, Sunset opened the hissing door and let in Master Fluttershy. She was normally in charge of training the youngest to eventually become skilled enough to be taken on by another within the order.

A bird chirped as it landed outside the window of Sunsets room. Master Fluttershy smiled, Sunset scowled.

"Are you feeling ok? Coming back from that long of a trip, it must be hard to settle back in." the kind Master asked gently, sitting at the foot of Sunset's bed, still watching the bird. Sitting on the opposite end, Sunset replied.

"I guess. Nothing feels the same. I mean, I've been back less than a day, but I guess I just expected things to go back to normal the instant I stepped back on Temple grounds." Master Fluttershy looked away from the bird long enough to glance at her, and smoothed out part of the blanket resting atop the bed.

"I can understand that. The first time I came back from an assignment that long, I thought I might scream because it felt so different." Sunset looked in bewilderment at the still smiling Master, before smiling herself.

"You? Scream? I think I might pay to see that." The two shared a small laugh, and Sunset grew more comfortable as the conversation went on. They talked for what felt like ages, about random things, old stories, and the types of animals on Therrien. Sunset was glad they didn't talk about anything else, thankful for the simple distraction of conversation.

When Master Fluttershy left, Sunset found her room felt differently than before. It felt like home again.

 _ **A/N:**_ **hey all you readers that were left hanging at the end of October, I'm back! During November I wrote part of a story entry, and I came nowhere near the 50,000 challenge, but it was fun. Anyways, here is a nice, short chapter with a happy ending to get us all back into the swing of things.(mostly for me, I haven't looked at this for an entire month, but it feels good to be back.) Forgive me for throwing some of the Mane 6 at you, but I felt I needed to have them somewhere. Hope you enjoyed it, give it a follow, favorite, or review if you so desire, it helps me a lot! See ya next time guys! (and any ladies reading)**


	12. Chapter 12: A Dangerous Game

A week passed without much event, though Sunset gradually got back into the routine of training. After her conversation with Master Fluttershy, the Council allowed her to roam the Temple as usual, and was allowed to continue learning without restraint.

Macedon had started to shift the focus of his teachings as well, where before it was mostly strength of defense, and keeping her emotions in check, it was now starting to include more offensive training, as well as more extensive endurance and Force training. It was rigorous, and Sunset now realized just how practical Macedon had been by slowly increasing the difficulty of her training as slowly as he had been.

It was after one of these training sessions and Macedon had let her rest that master Luna approached her. Sitting in her room, Sunset was resting, and trying to meditate when Luna stepped in, giving her a nod in greeting. For a moment, she said nothing, and they looked at each other in silence.

"Are you ready to restart your lessons with me, Sunset?" Luna asked, her face showing only passiveness, and a small amount of curiousness in her eyes. Sunset nodded, and stood up, coming eye to eye with the Master standing across from her. Anticipation, and a little anxiety filled Sunset as another gleam flashed across Luna's eyes.

Without another word, yet a rather cryptic smirk, Luna turned around, and started on the small trek leading to her private training area. Once there, Luna opened the door, and once again, Sunset felt that odd ripple. It startled her, however, after not having sensed that for a few months it came as a surprise. The door opened, but Sunset didn't move to go in.

"How do you open the door?" she asked quietly, and the Master stepping front of her stopped. Luna turned around, glanced in the hallway, and motioned for Sunset to follow.

"I'll explain inside; some do not approve of the practice. Well, I do a lot of things that others do not approve of, but this is an uncomfortable topic for some." Luna amended her statement and continued on, leaving Sunset to follow in confusion and curiosity.

As they walked into the training room, Sunset thought over the strange feeling, and realized she had been wrong. At first, she thought it was the use of the Dark side of the force that opened the door, but after facing a Sith herself, she realized that this was different. It wasn't dark or menacing, but it was… unsettling. Luna turned around, and handed Sunset a small box she had picked up from a small table.

"Hold this up for a moment," the Master instructed, and Sunset complied, gripping the small box with the Force and holding above her palm, "ok, now imagine that the box is the lock holding the door." Luna focused a moment, and Sunsets hand started to tingle. The box dropped into her palm, and Sunset felt the Force she had been using to hold it up jerked to a halt, and she flinched.

"The door is imbued with the force, and only the lack of it will make it open. This is the most basic of abilities with such knowledge, however. Once, long ago, a similar ability could sever a user's connection to the Force completely, or even leech it away against another's will. I have not the strength to do such a feat, besides, Celestia wouldn't be too keen to know about it anyways… would you care to learn how to accomplish this?" Luna ended her explanation, looking with an upraised brow at Sunset as she looked horrified from box to Master.

A part of Sunset feared what might happen if she agreed, and another was excited at the prospect of learning something that could be useful in future encounters. Curiosity overtook caution, and hesitantly, Sunset nodded.

"Then let's begin." Luna said with an approving look, and a proud smile.

Macedon was leaning against the wall the next morning, arms crossed and frowning when Sunset walked up. Macedon's gaze softened the barest hint when he saw the state she was in.

Dark bags were under her eyes, and her hair was a wild mess. Her steps were slightly uneven, and her head was pointed down.

"You look awake this morning." Macedon commented dryly. Sunset groaned in reply and tried to smooth her hair.

"Sorry I am late… I had a rough night." Her hair not cooperating, Sunset gave up, and rubbed at her eyes, still in the process of waking up. Macedon 's frown deepened back to its normal state, and he gave Sunset another look. Feeling exposed, Sunset stared at the ground, and tried to move into the training room, but her attempt was halted.

"You were training with Master Luna again, weren't you?" He asked, the tone of his voice made it obvious of his disapproval.

"Yes, what is wrong with that? I know firsthand that she can be a little unorthodox, but-"

"But she is teaching you things that you are not ready for. I recognized my fault, I have not been training you as I should have, but she should not be pushing you as hard as she is." Macedon stated firmly, and stepped into the training room past Sunset, who followed. She knew arguing would not help, but she felt she had to defend her side of the argument somehow.

"She has been testing me and finding my limits, all you seem to do is see how angry you can make me. Besides, _her_ training kept me alive more than yours did." As soon as it had left her mouth, Sunset regretted it. She winced as Macedon stopped mid stride, slowly, almost painfully letting his feet and arm relax. He took a deep breath, but said nothing. He slowly turned around, and the still open door slam shut with a quick motion of his hand. Sunset took a step back, not sure what to do, how to react to that. She hadn't realized she had struck so deep a chord for him to react like this.

"Then let's see where your limit truly is." Macedon said darkly, and three training sabers flew over from the wall. Sunset yelped as two of them shot towards her, yet they stopped just before hitting her. She hesitantly grabbed them, and immediately jumped to the side, as the practice saber Macedon held flashed dangerously close.

Taking the immediate defensive, Sunset planted her feet from the jump and brought her two glowing practice blades in front of her, yet they felt awkward in her hands. Macedon jumped after her and swung. Sunsets block was sloppy and ill prepared, and one of her blades went spinning across the room, dropping lifelessly to the floor with a small clatter. The next swing was again met by a sloppy block, but this time Sunset was able to hold on to the blade.

By now, Sunset was wide awake, her senses on overdrive, and adrenaline coursing through her blood. She gripped her saber more steadily, and the third block she made was solid. As Sunset pushed back on her masters' blade, Macedon spun, using the momentum of the push to swing him around, earning a yelp as his practice saber hit her, her block coming too late, and at an awkward angle.

But he kept raining blows at her, which Sunset decided her best bet was dodging instead of blocking. Rolling under a swing that would have put Darth Korata to shame, Sunset found her first chance to go to the offensive, but she hesitated. It cost her a blow from Macedon that she had to take full on, her saber above her holding back the vicious hum of Macedon's practice blade. As she looked up, she saw the intense gaze of Macedon staring back at her, yet it held almost no emotion, which Sunset found horrifying.

Even more terrifying, Sunset realized what he had been doing. He was using form 7, not his usual form of combat. The reality of that revelation hit her almost as hard as the boot that came flying towards her side. The force of the kick sent her sideways, and she yelped as she hit the floor, awkwardly trying to keep from hitting herself with her own blade.

Suddenly, her practice blade was ripped from her hand as Macedon took control of it, yet he did not swing. He stalked calmly towards his fallen Padawan, the same passiveness Sunset had seen now less intense, yet still terrifying to behold. Against her will, Sunset scooted away from him, until her back was against the training room wall. The two glowing practice sabers were silenced, and Macedon placed them both in one hand. He held the other out to Sunset.

Relief flooded every part of Sunsets being, yet she took his extended arm after a long moment of silence, and hesitantly still. He helped her up, and gave her the two sabers he held, using the force to grab the third, which Sunset had forgotten about in those terrifying moments before.

"I was asked to take you as a padawan because I showed similar traits when I was your age. I was angry, and picked Vaapad* to learn. I was second only to one, but that is not why I do not want Luna teaching you. Now, I have been moving slowly with your training because I had to make sure exactly how far your emotions could be stretched." He paused, letting Sunset take in what he had just explained, but she would not meet his gaze.

"So, if you are still willing to test your limits, I will explain everything else after round two. Deal?" he asked, a smile that did not reach his eyes forced itself upon his features. Sunset continued to avoid his eyes. Finally, she nodded, and as she readied herself, allowed her eyes to lock on his. They were still filled with that terrifying passiveness, yet they seemed more gentle, the intensity was replaced by mere attentiveness, and for that, Sunset was grateful.

In the middle of the second duel, while dodging a swing, Sunset was filled with determination. Either she would land a hit on Macedon, or she would collapse on this floor. When the second bout ended, she took a short breather, and waved off Macedon when he started to speak.

"Round three?" at the question, Macedon seemed taken back, but simply shrugged, and reset his stance. Sunset found it easier to break away and go on the offensive in the third round, but still couldn't land a hit on her master. The determination grew with each failed attempt, and when she seemed close, adrenaline building and pushing her forward, Macedon would pull some new trick he hadn't taught her, slipping back into that passive state and regaining the offensive.

…

"Round four?" Sunset asked as she leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Macedon had finally broken a sweat, and raised an eyebrow in response. The tension had slowly slipped away, and the familiar gesture gave Sunset a boost of hope. He was relaxing, maybe, just maybe, she could land a hit on him now.

As they reset, Sunset could feel it, this would be the one! Either she accomplished her goal, or she would find out just how far her limits would truly stretch in the process.

This time, Sunset swung first, one blade launching high, the other holding back, keeping her balanced through the swing, and waiting, just in case. Suddenly, Macedon dropped his blade and lunged. One hand grabbed her wrist she was swinging with, the other grabbing her shoulder. Sunset didn't even have time to react as she was thrown over Macedon and onto the floor. Now grateful more than ever for the padded ground, Sunset felt both of her practice blades being pulled from her hands.

The two stolen blades now swung down, and Sunset rolled, before bringing one leg up to her chest, and pushing forward. She tackled Macedon, sending him crashing to the floor, and jumped away just in time to avoid an awkward slash of one of the blades. Using the Force, Sunset grabbed Macedon's dropped saber and went for the finishing blow.

Macedon slapped it aside, and jumped up to his feet, and Sunset growled at her missed chance. She closed the distance while she could, and rained blow after blow towards her master, who blocked them efficiently. Slowly, Macedon gave ground. The anticipation built in Sunset, and she felt the new rush of adrenaline, knowing she could have her victory this time… and then she saw it. The subtle change in his foot work, the slight shift in his eyes.

Sunset would _not_ give up this time. Macedon feinted a swing left, and lunged to her right. Instead of allowing this to throw her off, Sunset forced herself to stay calm, and lunged backwards. As Macedon slid to a stop, his swing hitting nothing, Sunset launched herself back forward, catching him by surprise, and finally planting a glancing blow on his upper arm. Even with a real lightsaber, such a hit would be considered rather pathetic, but it was a hit nonetheless.

Overwhelming pride filled Sunset, and she raised her practice blade, cheering.

"Ha! Finally! Take that Macedon! Who just landed a hit on you? This padawan!" Sunset yelled ecstatically, not caring that the room was spinning, and the floor was growing dangerously close.

 _ ***Vaapad is form 7, and Macedon learned Form 4 after becoming a knight, which he chose over Vaapad in an attempt to find out how to integrate the two with each other. Thus the blending seen in the chapter.**_

 _ **A/N**_ **: Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, to date I think this was my favorite to write, and in my opinion, probably the best ive ever written, though that might be me just being biased about my work… anyways I need to address something right quick. I kinda "auto-piloted" this entire chapter, so pretty much everything past the first page and a half was unplanned. That being said, I do plan on expanding that little tid-bit about Macedon's past. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW I DID ON THE COMBAT SCENE! I feel like i am really weak in that area, and any feedback would be appreciated.**

 **also, because they are few and far between, I think I might start doing Review Responses at the end of each chapter.**

 **So, to Darian J. Kim: I felt we all deserved a happy ending last chapter, but don't worry, things will be getting back to normal soon… maybe.**


	13. Chapter 13: Filler for sale

_**A/N**_ **: Bam! The note is at the top this time, bet you weren't expecting that, huh? So this chapter is overdue, and not the best, I'll admit, and it is going to be shorter than I normally try to make them, but it is more for driving the plot with some filler before anything else big happens, so stay with me here. Anyways, I promised Review responses, so let's get to that.**

 _TigerVolcano5000:_ _ **I have already talked to you about all of this, but im still working on trying to put in a few of the ideas you had. Thanks for your suggestions!**_

 _Smartrobert00:_ _ **thanks man, you da best! And you need to update more often. Nevermind the fact that I am late on every post ever.**_

 _Darian J. Kim:_ _ **yeah, I think Sunset deserved it, after all the crap that I have, or am going to out her through in this story… thanks for your continued support!**_

It was pouring, but Sunset felt nothing. She stood there, watching as men ran to and from buildings and walls and makeshift coverings. She was back on Therrien.

Without warning, blaster-fire erupted everywhere, and the sounds of war filled her ears. A figure vaulted over the wall, a red saber flashing dangerously bright against the rain and clouds. Troops fell left and right to the stinging blade, and Sunset tried to rush forward, only to find she couldn't move. A familiar figure appeared next to her, and stood tall. Seluthon took aim and opened fire on the lightsaber wielding figure.

The barrage of blaster bolts were deflected away, and the dark figure pressed forward. Sunset wanted to run, to move, to scream if nothing else, but her body wouldn't listen. She watched in horror as Seluthon was cut down, not able to look away. The battle did not last much longer after that, all of the Therrien fighters were dead or gone, and the only sound was the pattering of rain, and the hissing of the red lightsaber.

The dark figure seemed to stare at Sunset for a moment, and then was gone, jumping away from the battlefield, and disappearing into the darkness. And then, suddenly, Sunset could move again. She fell to her knees, pain and shock ripping through her, sobs breaking the stillness. And as she cried, closing Seluthon's pained eyes, rage filled her. Uncompromising, and unending.

She leapt after the dark figure, moving faster than should have been possible. Everything else seemed to fade as she raced across the mud, and slowly began gaining on the fleeing form, outlined amidst the darkness by the glow of his lightsaber. Letting out a scream of pure hate, Sunset raced forward, going even faster. The rain stung her face, but she pressed on, determined to catch the fleeing form.

With a gigantic leap, she landed in front of the hooded Sith, their face hidden. And then they dueled. It went on for what felt like hours, but Sunset never tired, fueled by revenge. With a satisfying lack of resistance, Sunset drove both of her sabers into the hooded figure.

Hearing the gasp of pain filled her with horror. The hood fell back as she pulled her sabers away, and Macedon fell to the ground. And then her lightsabers were the ones full of red, and Macedon looked at her with pain and betrayal, life fleeing from his eyes.

And then the eyes were filled with that terrible passiveness, and the face changed. Now Sunset was staring into the cold eyes of Master Celestia, and the other Masters surrounded her. Her hands were bound, and Temple Guards stood directly behind her. Sunset could see their mouths moving, but heard nothing that they said. Instead, a booming, overbearing and horribly raspy voice filled her ears.

"A new name, worthy of any Sith. Darth Eclipse, you shall be known by this name from this day forth."

Sunset's eyes snapped open, cold sweat covering her body. It was dark, but she knew she was in the medical wing again from the bed. Her breath came in gasps, and images from her dream filled the dark reaches of the room. Slowly, very, very slowly, the images began to fade, and her breathing grew steady. Laying her head back down, Sunset knew she would be getting little, if any sleep the rest of the night. A tear rolled down her face, and then another. Sunset was glad no one was there to see her.

* * *

Macedon walked down the hall, deep in thought when Corinth fell into step beside him. The younger Jedi said nothing, but looked like he was about to explode from holding his question in. Trying to not let it show too much, Corinth cleared his throat.

"So, how is she doing?" Corinth asked casually. Macedon mentally rolled his eyes, nodding to another passing Jedi before responding.

"Sunset is fine, she just overworked herself a little yesterday and was confined to the infirmary for the night." The older Jedi noticed the brief, and rather quickly hidden look of relief on the younger Jedi's face, but chose not to dwell on it.

"Cool, cool…" Corinth trailed off, glancing to the side nonchalantly. Now Macedon sighed.

"And why aren't you with your own master at the moment? Shouldn't you be training as well?" Macedon asked, eyebrow raised. Expecting a completely different answer, Macedon was pleasantly surprised at what the padawan replied with.

"Actually, she was going to meet us in the infirmary wing, we had an idea to run by you and Sunset." Corinth brightened as he spoke, growing a bit more fidgety. Whatever the idea was, it had Corinth excited, and Macedon could only hope it didn't involve explosions. At least none that would put anyone in _too_ much danger…

* * *

Sunset was awake and eating her morning meal when a slightly familiar woman walked in. She wore the standard Jedi robes, though had taken the liberty of styling them a bit, dying stripes of light pink into the inner fabric to match her hair. She frowned slightly, when she glanced around the room, but smiled warmly when she looked back to Sunset. Smiling back, Sunset bid her a good morning as the older woman took a seat.

"You are Corinth's master, right? I'm sorry, I don't remember ever hearing your name." Sunset felt her face grow warm at the small confession, and apologized again. The older woman gave a short laugh.

"No worries, my name is Cheerilee." Sunset nodded, finishing her breakfast up inn a few short bites, and set the tray aside. She let out a short, pained groan as she stretched her back, and winced as she moved back. She was going to be sore for a long while… Cheerilee gave her a pitying, almost knowing look, and moved on.

"I was hoping Macedon would already be here, as well as Corinth, but you know those two, always late. Since they aren't here, I'll give you the short version of what we were going to talk about." She paused, looking like she was trying to find the best way to start her explanation. She waved her hand dismissively, and decided jumping in the deep end was the best way to get used to the water.

"This was technically all Corinth's idea, but the two of us were wondering if you and Macedon would want to train together sometime. Macedon and I can point out things in the others padawan, and since you have been on an actual battlefield, you can give Corinth good tips and advice." Cheerilee was about to continue, but paused, looking instead at Sunset in confusion. Sunset had remembered a part of her dream, and hadn't realized she had been making a demeaning face because of it.

"Are you alright?" Cheerilee asked, startled at the sudden change in Sunset's mood.

"y-yeah, sorry. Just… remembering the front, I guess." Sunset the half-lie hung around the room awkwardly, like an unwelcomed guest and refusing to leave. The silence lasted briefly, much to both Sunset's and Cheerilee's relief, as the door hissed open.

Macedon walked in first, taking a seat as Corinth stepped in behind him. The two seemed oblivious to the previously heavy atmosphere, and the two girls were content to keep it that way. Corinth looked gleefully to Cheerilee, and the conversation was started once more.

"Macedon is on board! Have you talked to Sunset about it?" he asked, nodding to said person as he talked. Cheeriliee shot a smile at Macedon, and nodded.

"Only briefly, you interrupted us. So what do you say, Sunset?" Cheerilee threw the question out, and Sunset shrugged, her gaze drifting from person to person.

"Why not? I'm game." Sunset shifted to give everyone a thumbs up, but her shoulder tensed as she moved her arm, wincing as she massaged it out. "On second thought… I might need another day or two…"


	14. Chapter 14: Slow, Steady, and Stuff

The day had passed slowly, turning into another night of dreams, and Sunset woke wanting nothing more than a cup of coffee. Another little quirk she had picked up on Therrien, much to Macedon's surprise. He never touched the stuff, resisting its addictive tendencies.

To her despair, however, coffee would have to wait. Corinth had stopped by, and off they went to their first joint training session. Jedi lingering in the halls smiled as they watched the odd pair of Padawan's, one energetic and bouncing, the other trudging along with half closed eyes.

"Aren't you excited at all?" Corinth asked, smiling broadly at her. Sunset responded with a groan, and mumbled incoherently.

"I knew you were! This will be fun! Think of all the things we can learn, like- "

"Like being kind and courteous to half dead Padawans and being quiet?" Sunset hissed at him, her eyes shooting daggers. Corinth laughed. Rolling her eyes, Sunset stretched for the millionth time, trying to wake herself up more.

Thoughts and images from her dream, having had it again, kept popping up in her mind randomly, coming and going without warning. She hoped it would stop soon, training while unfocused was a dangerous combination. A sudden idea rolled through her mind, and for the first time that morning, Sunset smiled. Master Fluttershy would be willing to listen, and help. They had kept in light touch ever since their talk in what felt like months ago, but was only a few days past a week.

But again, it would have to wait. Corinth led the way through the dull metal door of the training room, where Macedon and Cheerilee were discussing the cruel fates that awaited them. Sunset had half a mind to suggest starting Corinth on the 'pedestal gauntlet,' as she had come to call that taxing exercise.

"Hello there Corinth, Sunset, ready to begin?" Cheerilee asked, nodding to both younger Jedi in turn. Corinth gave an enthusiastic shout, Sunset blinked, but nodded. "good, so to start, we are going to reevaluate your strengths and weaknesses, so Macedon and I can get a feel for the way we want to turn this training to. I think the first thing we were going to start with was… what did you call it?" Cheerilee paused in her explanation, throwing the question out to Macedon. He smiled a very cruel smile, connecting eyes with Sunset.

"The Pedestal Gauntlet. Why don't you demonstrate for us, Sunset?"

Sunset was tired, beyond the capacity to even think about another drill. Corinth was in a similar state, though he was handling it a bit better. He had done bravely against the swarm of tiny droids, but in the end, he had done worse than Sunset had on her first try, months before.

Despite the initial failure, they had moved on, testing each Padawan's speed, strength, and force ability with simple, or horrendously complex, drills. Having collapsed on the floor, Sunset decided she wouldn't get up. Luckily, rescue came in the form of Macedon calling it a day, leaving her to lay on the floor as long as she wanted.

"I think we have a good starting base, good job, both of you." Macedon commented. Corinth smiled, taking in the compliment like sunlight to a plant. Sunset responded with something resembling 'shut up' and left it at that. Cheerilee laughed, and left the room, Corinth trailing behind her in a slow walk, still beaming.

Macedon walked over and stood above Sunset, a proud look in his eyes. He held out a hand, which Sunset took with a loud, pained sigh. Macedon winced, but the small smile never left his face.

"I am very impressed, Sunset. You pushed yourself hard today, and maybe I pushed a little too hard when we were… sparring, but you powered through a lot more than I was expecting. Take the rest of the day off. I think its time I went to go get some of the soup for us this time." At his words, Sunset felt warmth flood through her, and she smiled back through the soreness in her muscles. Though, admittedly, that was probably more at the promise of getting that special soup than Macedon's praise.

After a painful walk back to her room, Sunset took a long cold shower, and promptly fell onto her bed. She closed her eyes, expecting sleep to greet her near instantly.

Five minutes passed. Then ten. Twenty. Sunset grew fed up with tossing and turning on her cot, thoughts tugging at her mind. Her room seemed to shrink, and for a quiet moment, felt unnaturally dark. Huffing, Sunset stood up, the sudden motion returning her room back to normal, the light taking back its luminous feel. A thought from earlier resurfaced in her mind.

Sunset changed back into fresh robes, having been in more comfortable attire beforehand. Placing her lightsabers in their respective places, she turned to leave, but paused just before the door. Recently, she had gotten out of the habit of carrying her small blaster pistol around, but for some reason, it tugged at her mind. Walking back to her bed, she pulled the light holster out from under it, feeling the familiar material as she strapped it to her hip.

Nodding in satisfaction, Sunset turned back and walked out the door. Taking her time walking through the halls of the Temple, Sunset nodded and waved to Jedi, absorbing the peaceful feel around her. It was a rather short walk, but it felt much farther than normal. Being reduced to small and concise strides so as to not upset her muscles made her realize just how fast she was used to walking.

Surprisingly, Master Fluttershy was not in her usual meditation room. Sunset paused, frowning at the empty space, and continued on. Checking another room or two, Sunset gave up on looking in the meditation wing. There were only a few other places that the Master could be, and both were on the opposite side of the Temple. Sunset cursed, and slowly made her way towards the new destination.

Macedon hummed quietly as he walked, almost to the large, grand entrance to the Jedi Temple. He had barely set foot outside the main hall and into the outdoors when a voice stopped him.

"Macedon! A word, if you've the time." Macedon turned around, watching as Grand Master Celestia approached him at a brisk pace. "where were you headed?" she asked upon reaching him. Shrugging, Macedon told her, raising an eyebrow at her request to join him. The two walked down the large set of stairs, oblivious to the lack of foot-traffic.

"I realize you have not had as much time to settle back in as much as you would like, but I- _we_ have another mission for you." Celestia explained as they reached the bottom step, waiting for a shuttle to take them out into the hectic urban center. Macedon filed the slip-up of 'I' to 'we' away in his mind, growing a tad more curious than he ought to.

Sunset sat down next to Master Fluttershy with a grimace, earning a short pitying glance from the higher ranked Jedi. It was strange to think that she was a master, yet she was just about Sunsets age. After making a bit of small talk, Sunset told her of the dreams she had been having. Near the end, however, she hesitated.

"…And it ended with the council looking down at me." Fluttershy nodded, frowning at the slight pause. Well, she was frowning anyway, but it was more directed at Sunset now. A moment passed, and Sunset wasn't sure if she should say anything or not, deciding to stay quiet.

"This is strange, what did you feel when you woke up?" the soft-spoken Master asked. Sunset gave a small shiver. She noticed Fluttershy was staring at her leg, more precisely, the holster.

"Fear. And a little hopeless." Sunset admitted, but Fluttershy shook her head. Again, however, her gaze rested on the blaster clipped to her thigh.

"Not emotions, did you feel anything physical? Any tingling in the arms? Things like that." She corrected, and Sunset struggled to remember. It was only the other night, but she didn't remember feeling anything like that. Slowly, Sunset shook her head, and Fluttershy let out a ponderous hum.

They talked for a while longer, getting into what the dream might mean, before slowly turning to happier topics. All the while, Fluttershy would glance down at her side-arm every now and then. Sunset was just beginning to feel her muscles relax when Fluttershy was called to the council room. Giving a small apology, the Master and Padawan parted ways. Walking back to her room, Sunset realized why Fluttershy had been staring at her weapon. She had been holding onto it the entire time, messing with the leather pouch, or sliding a thumb over it. It was only after she reached for it and missed did she notice.

Staring at her hand, Sunset paused in the hallway. Shaking the trance like state away, Sunset folded her arms across her chest and continued on, not feeling much better than before she had talked to Master Fluttershy.

 ** _A/N:_** **Howdy yall! (im from the south, sorry if the word 'yall' annoys you) finally got around to finishing this up. Chapter 15 is about a quarter of the way done now… so hopefully i can get more out soon. Sadly, Darian, our little loyalist, has seemed to disappear. Always thought he was a robot. (I have legit reasons, seriously.) anyways, hope you enjoy, and please let me know what I need to work on, it helps a lot!**


	15. Chapter 15: Philosophy and Social Skills

That night was thankfully a good one, as no dreams came. Sunset woke up feeling much better than she had the past few days. It must have been the soup.

Macedon told her they would train later today, so she had the morning to herself. He hadn't said whether Corinth and Cheerilee would join, but he seemed kind of distant so Sunset hadn't asked. With breakfast out of the way, and nothing to do, Sunset stared at the wall. It was a wonderful pastime, really.

An idea floated through her head, and Sunset contemplated it. She _did_ know how to open the door; she could go do some training or meditating in private there. She didn't necessarily need to, but the thought of heightened privacy was an appealing one.

Springing up from her bed, Sunset made sure she had both of her sabers, and the side-arm was strapped to her leg. Nodding in satisfaction, Sunset set off for Luna's training room. The thought that Luna would be there suddenly crossed her mind as well, but Sunset dismissed it. Her muscles were still terribly sore, but they didn't hurt nearly as much, so the walk was not as slow-going than yesterday's trek.

After a few minutes' walk, Sunset came to the hidden chamber, glancing around to make sure no one was in the hallway. Luna always did it, and Sunset thought it would be best to copy the action. Turning her attention to the closed door, Sunset held out her palm, focusing on the short lesson on how to cancel out the Force. Nothing happened.

Frowning, Sunset tried again, and this time, felt the odd ripple in the Force. A soft click emanated from the door, and it swung open. Now smiling, Sunset walked in, closing the door behind her, and walked into the wide chamber. It was bare, and only now did Sunset wonder how such drastic changes could be made to the room without a trace.

Thinking mostly of the obstacle course she had to endure, Sunset stepped further into the room, reaching out with the Force for some sort of switch. Suddenly, the floor crunched underfoot, the smooth surface replaced by the gravely covering, and the course from so long ago loomed in front of her.

Sunset frowned, then thought of a different scene. A heartbeat later, the room had changed from the obstacle course to one of the training grounds on Therrien, complete with targets for blaster practice and a smaller, less intimidating obstacle ground for newer recruits. Taking out her blaster, Sunset stood facing the targets, and fired.

The bolt of blaster-fire hit the target with sizzle, and a black scorch mark covered a small area, slightly off center. It was physical, but shouldn't be. Her frown deepening, Sunset shot again, with the same result, only she hit the center this time. It didn't quite make sense. She knew there was a connection with the Force, and what she willed the room to be, but it shouldn't have been able to make physical objects just by images from her mind…

Sunset willed the room to clear, and it returned back to a blank room, silent and waiting. Without warning, a blast of warm air hit her, and she staggered back, only to almost fall off the edge of a platform. A red glow covered everything, and the floor had literally turned into lava. Platforms dotted the room, moving up and down or side to side. Glancing to the entrance with a worried look, Sunset saw Luna, arms crossed and smug, on a larger, more stable platform.

"I see you have found out how to work the room." The master Jedi called, "Let's see if you can survive it though." She finished darkly. Despite the now rather warm interior, Sunset shivered.

Forcing herself to calm down, Sunset reassessed the room, taking in platforms, lava flow, and finding any patterns in the gusts of air or shifting safe-zones. The space under her feet began to grow warm, then burning. With a yelp, Sunset jumped to the nearest platform, and watched the previous one sink slowly into the molten red glow. How could a room do this?

The room!

Concentrating, Sunset willed a different, much less lethal scene, to take shape. Trees began burning in the heat, water steamed, and earth smoldered as it came into contact with the molten lava. Slowly but surely, the woodland scene won over, the room an odd mixture of lingering smells and charred sights. Luna clapped as Sunset fell against a tree, dizzy.

"A good show, Sunset! Now, what did we learn?" Luna asked as she walked up, smiling smugly. Sunset felt something wet on her lip, and moved her hand to wipe it away. Blood trickled from her nose.

"Don't go into rooms that do the physically impossible?" laughing at the answer, Luna shook her head.

"This is a complex, yet doable feat. Combining the mind with the physical world is a rough science. Feel the floor," Luna commanded, as the woodland scene was replaced by the blank room once more. "search it with the Force. The Force is the connector, combining the thoughts of a sentient being with the physicality of the real world." Sunset placed her hand on the blank floor. It felt normal. Tentatively pushing out with the Force, she felt it. A hum, a vibration, constant motion of something in the ground. Not living, yet not fully unthinking. It made Sunset sick. Something about it was wrong. She pulled her hand away, frowning.

Luna helped her stand, lurching forward as Sunset almost fell back to the ground. Cursing, Sunset held her hand back to her nose. Blood was running a bit more freely. Slowly, as Sunset was too drained to refuse the help, the two made their way out of the training room. Sunset distracted herself by mulling over the fact that Luna was helping this time, and not simply leaving her to feint in the hallway again.

* * *

After stopping her nosebleed, taking a long shower, and meditating a few moments, Sunset sensed Macedon walk down the hall towards her room. He knocked at her door, opening it after Sunset called him in. He paused, staring at her a moment, studying.

"You were training with Master Luna again." He stated. Sunset raised an eyebrow.

"How did you know?" she asked, and Macedon made a wide hand gesture.

"You look horrible, like you could sleep for about a year… I don't approve of you being pushed this hard… it isn't what many would call healthy." Macedon admonished, concern creeping into his tone. His finger twitched. Over the course of her apprenticeship under Macedon, Sunset learned that that little twitch meant he had a whole rant stored up about this, but knew it wouldn't help to bring it all up at this point.

"It was definitely nothing like your training sessions are," Sunset chose to ignore the glare that earned her, "speaking of, what are we doing today? Footwork? New techniques? More sparring? Strategy? Or maybe-"

"Social skills." Macedon interrupted her. Sunset paused, her mouth still open, confused at the answer.

"What?" She asked lamely after a moment of silence between them. Macedon shrugged.

"I'll explain on the way." He motioned for her to follow, and the two set off down the hallway. They weren't headed to any of the other training rooms, but Sunset chose not to say anything, waiting for Macedon to explain the situation.

"We have been asked to carry out another mission. This one in a much different setting than Therrien. I realize you are used to the hustle and bustle of a crowded urban center, but where we are going, the rules are different." Macedon left his explanation there as they came upon the large dining hall in the temple. A number of military personnel milled about, filling the room, yet not too much so. There were almost no other Jedi in sight, and Sunset was about to ask why they were in the mess hall when he pushed her further inside.

"Act natural, and blend in. I'll be watching. Try not to get isolated for any reason, don't draw attention to yourself, and remember, a big smile will win over more people than a Lightsaber! Sometimes, anyways…"

* * *

Sunset stormed out of the mess hall. She was beyond frustrated. First, training with Luna had nearly killed her, _again_ , then she had been thrown into a room filled with strangers that all pointed out flaws in the way she walked, talked, ate, breathed even. How exactly does one breath wrong? Sunset let out a frustrated sigh, her face contorting to a scowl as a smiling Macedon appeared.

"So, how did it go?" he asked in a much too peppy manner.

"I'm starting to think you hate me. What was the purpose of that? To find out how much you hate socializing?" Sunset huffed, crossing her arms, glaring at her master as he laughed again.

"No, if you recall, I mentioned we will be going to a heavily populated area, but they have different… styles of living than here." His smile faltered slightly, but he continued.

"I wanted you to experience that now, so when we go you can better pick up on local normality's. Did you notice you changed the way you talk? The way you carried yourself, even down to the food you ordered because of the environment. I wanted you to feel that adaptability beforehand." The explanation sunk in, and Sunset, though still frustrated, saw the reasoning behind it. Though, the talk of social tendencies raised another question.

"Where are we going, exactly?" Sunset asked. Now Macedon's smile turned into a wince, and he took a deep breath.

"Beitrudian. Crime capital of the galaxy." Sunset copied his wince.

The next hour or so was spent discussing the mission they were to embark on, though it seemed relatively easy, they both felt an underlying sense of unease. They were to leave in a few days, and reestablish contact with a Jedi Sunset hadn't met before, though heard of. The only Jedi currently, at least that she could remember, that had delved into the Darkside, and walked back to the light. Discord.

 _ **A/N:**_ **Howdy everyone, Sorry I am so irregular in my updates. I really need to make a schedule and stick to it… anyways, no review responses this time, so I get to enjoy some peace and quiet. Hope you all enjoyed and feel free to leave feedback or suggestions!**


	16. Chapter 16: Dreams and intrigue

After such a full, taxing day, Sunset had no trouble falling asleep. The problem was staying asleep long enough without having a nightmare.

Sunset was walking down the hall, but it wasn't her. she wanted to turn her head, but she couldn't change the field of view, unable to see who was taking the steps. Up ahead, another person came into view. A younger girl, wandering the halls aimlessly hummed unaware of Sunset, or the one she was moving with. Suddenly, the girl stopped humming, and frowned. She turned, but the figure that had been following seemingly melted into shadow, leaving Sunset with a wide view of the hallway. The girl looked directly at her still frowning. Something felt very, very wrong. The shadows behind the younger girl moved, before blazing with terrible red light. Sunset wanted to scream at the girl to run, but she had no voice. It wouldn't have mattered anyway; the girl didn't even have the time to turn around.

Sunset woke, crying into her pillow. That was the third time she had been forced to experience that nightmare, but she was convinced it was more. She prayed she was wrong.

Morning came after another dream, with no difference from the first three, and an hour of contemplation. Feeling worse than the day before, Sunset didn't move to get up from her bed. A knock came a few minutes later.

"Sunset, we have another training day!" Corinth called, oblivious and aloof. Sunset didn't make a sound, instead staring at the wall.

"Hello? Are you ok?" the rather carefree padawan asked through the door, but received only silence.

"Sunset?" he tried again, this time receiving a tired, grudging reply.

"Go away, I'll be there in a moment." Sunset murmured, slowly moving to sit up. As soon as her head was elevated, a headache jammed her senses, and a wince took over her features. Corinth, unfortunately, didn't have a clue, and merely brushed off the grumpy attitude as Sunset being Sunset.

"Ok! Don't be late or Macedon will have you doing laps around the Temple!" he called as he retreated, and Sunset sighed, rubbing her forehead. It was going to be a long day.

After freshening up, changing, and placing her Lightsabers in their respective places, Sunset stomped through the door. Her headache throbbed with each step, and she glared at anyone that walked to close. Pausing at the door to the training room, she took a deep breath, massaged her forehead one last time, and stepped into the room that held her fate for the morning.

Macedon watched the two Padawans practice, flying different objects through a small obstacle course. It built dexterity and strength in the mind and use of the Force, and while it was made a bit more difficult, Sunset shouldn't have been struggling this much this early. It was only her third lap around with her piece, and in that time she had dropped it once, hit the side on almost every turn, and Corinth had lapped her twice. An elbow nudged his arm.

"Is Sunset ok? She doesn't look very-" Cheerilee was interrupted as Sunset hit another wall with her piece at an odd angle, and it flew from her Force grip, bouncing madly on the floor. Sunset let out a frustrated noise, and picked up the cube only to through it against the far wall again. Corinth paused in his concentration, his own cube stopping in the middle of a turn.

"No, I believe something is quite wrong." Macedon whispered back with a sigh. He should have stopped her sooner. He walked over to the still fuming Sunset, noticing that she had placed a hand on her forehead. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he turned her around slightly, so they were face to face.

"What is wrong?" he asked gently. Sunset winced, shrugging his hand away.

"Nothing, I just haven't woken up yet." She responded quickly. Dimly, Macedon watched as Cheerilee shared a whisper with Corinth, both staring with worried eyes at Sunset. Crossing his arms, Macedon raised an eyebrow as Sunset looked up at him. She looked worse than when she arrived.

"You are a terrible liar, Sunset, what is wrong?" he asked again, still gentle, but a bit firmer than before. Sunset waved her hand dismissively.

"I'm fine, just give me a moment to cool down." Looking down at his Padawan with a frown, Macedon pressed. Something was bothering her, why not let him help?

"Sunset, there is obviously something going on, I just want to help-"

" _I'm fine!"_ Sunset hissed, pulling away from Macedon as he extended a hand to place on her shoulder again. With an aggravated huff, Sunset walked to the other side of the room, grabbed her cube, and stalked back to the course. Crossing her arms, she shot the cube through the course, glaring at it like it just insulted her mother. It crashed into the wall every few moments, but it was more stable, and moving _fast._

Shaking his head, Macedon let it go for the moment, sighing. He needed to talk to her later about all of this, but the time was not now.

* * *

Sunset sat alone in the meditation room, sitting up on her knees and staring around the dimly lit chamber. The joint training session had ended about an hour after she had snapped at Macedon, and her headache was still horrible.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset tried once again to calm herself, closing her eyes. A light sense of coolness drifted over her, and for a moment the sounds and smells of a far-off field drifted to her, until the throb of her headache pushed it out.

She tried again, and again, each try yielding the same result. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Sunset hung her head. Closing her eyes, she tried one last time, and nearly cried out as a bright flash filled her eyes, and a terrible wave of pain tore through her head.

The intensity of it brought tears to her eyes as the blinding flash faded, and Sunset fell to her side on the padded floor, clutching her head. The pain kept getting worse and worse! Dimly, she heard a scream, and it wasn't until the pain spiked again that she realized it was her.

The door to the meditation room slid open, and someone ran in, kneeling next to her. A hand clamped on her shoulder, asking what was wrong in a worried voice. Sunset recognized Corinth, though at first she wondered why he was outside the training room than anything else, until the pain in her head worked through again.

Slowly, the knifing pain ebbed away back to a dull ache, and Sunset stopped screaming, laying on the floor with tears rolling down her cheeks. Sounding far off, she heard Corinth ask her to stand, he wanted to get her to the medical wing as fast as he could. Pushing lightly on her arms, Sunset shakily got up from the floor, leaning on Corinth as he whispered reassurances and encouragement. She kind of wished he would shut-up, as each new word made her mind pulse again. She just wanted it to stop!

Their walk to the medical wing was cut short, however, as a large crowd blocked the hallway. A ring of temple guards kept the other Jedi back, another few were whispering or kneeling behind the tight ring. Through watery eyes, Sunset saw an opening in the perimeter, and what she saw made her eyes tear up again, and her heart stopped for a second. A grim Master Twilight draped a grey sheet over the face of a young Jedi, the girl from Sunset's nightmares.

Beside her, Corinth gasped, and he kept whispering things that Sunset didn't bother to listen to. She turned to face him, locking their gazes.

"Corinth, we have to do something."

"what?" Corinth looked startled at the sudden conviction in Sunsets voice.

"We have to stop these murders. We have to. Promise me you will help me stop it."

"I promise Sunset. However long it will take, we will find out who is behind it." Corinth assured, as the two watched the crowd from afar.

* * *

Corinth was sitting with his master, Cheerilee in the corner of the large dining hall. After helping Sunset to the medical wing, finding out about the murder, and dealing with another wave of hysteria, Corinth had stuck with Cheerilee for the rest of the day.

"I'm worried about Sunset," Corinth stated, for the third time that evening. Cheerilee nodded. "She was in so much pain, and then saw the Padawan… things like this can change people, I don't want her to end up in more pain." Corinth continued, rambling on. Cheerilee nodded along, grim and sober.

"And now, she wants to track the killer! I don't know how she is going to handle this, I mean, not that I don't trust her, but there have been rumors, you know?" Cheerilee did know, but nodded along as her Padawan continued.

"But, come on! I mean, this is Sunset we are talking about! So what her and Luna seem to disappear, they don't actually dabble with the Darkside, right? That's a stupid idea! Besides. She and Macedon have started training with us." Cheerilee paused at that last statement, finally chipping in.

"We won't be having any joined sessions with them for a while, however." Corinth paused, staring at his Master in confusion. Cheerilee kept on eating, before glancing up mid bite, catching his face.

"What do you mean?" Corinth asked, as Cheerilee finished chewing.

"Macedon and I had a conversation earlier. They are going on another mission soon, to Beitrudian, I think," Corinth paled, his eyes widening at the news. "Oh, they will be fine… hopefully. It isn't anything too dangerous, from what I heard. Just re-establishing contact with an informant." Cheerilee tried to comfort her Padawan, but it didn't seem to help him at all.

* * *

Walking back from the medical wing, Sunset had run into Macedon, and he briefed her on the mission. They were leaving late tomorrow, and now that her headache had finally been dealt with, she decided to pack. Just like before their mission on Therrien, she had very little to pack. Her Sabers were secure, her side-arm was strapped to her thigh, and an extra set of her Jedi garb was in a neat pile on her bed.

Sighing, Sunset sat on her bed, contemplating everything that had happened the past few days. It was a lot, and with a lot on her mind, she barely noticed it. A message on her communications link, from Corinth, was waiting to be read.

Sunset picked up the thin tablet like piece of technology, staring at it for a few moments, before gently setting it down on the opposite side of her room, face down. That done, she moved her spare set of clothes onto a tiny desk, and slept.

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hey all you party people, hope you are still enjoying the story! I tried, and failed, to give Corinth and Cheerilee some more screen time, buff up their characters you know? But I will work on getting better at that as we progress. Please feel free to leave suggestions, comments, criticism's, or questions! Thanks for reading, and I hope you decide to stick around, I'm going to try and progress the story a little faster, and work on making my chapters a bit longer as well, so let me know if you want to see more detail, more character interaction, less of something else, I'm open to anything.**

 **And to the good sir who requested an appearance by our favorite (humanized) Draconiquis(butchered that spelling), get ready for his grand entrance soon!**


	17. Chapter 17: Welcome to Beitrudian

Sunset looked around at the busy spaceport, watching people run to and from. Macedon and Cheerilee stood apart, sharing a few quiet words before they departed. Corinth stood next to her, seemingly unsure of what to say. He would start, then shake his head, then go to start again. Sunset pretended not to notice.

"You will be safe, right?" he finally asked. The ugly, smog tainted sky was further blocked by hundreds of tiny craft, personal and Republic alike. Sunset turned towards him, shrugging.

"Sure," the short reply didn't calm Corinth down any, but he nodded anyway. "safe is my middle name." Sunset joked, smiling softly. Corinth gave a small smile back, but he still looked nervous. Sunset mentally sighed. He was more nervous of her leaving for Beitrudian than she was going. This trip was supposed to be a short one, though, a week or two, at the most.

A larger corvette landed slowly, sending warm air blasting across the platform as the engines and landing jets brought the ship in. As soon as the corvette touched down, a swarm of workers rushed forward, refueling and inspecting the ship. The side was streaked with a light blue, instead of the normal Republic Red, and Sunset looked at the ship in slight confusion. The pattern itself was different as well, and Sunset found her answer as she studied the design.

They were heading to a system not entirely supportive of the Republic, so it would make sense to arrive on a non-Republic affiliated ship. Somewhat less conspicuous that way, at least. The landing ramp hissed down, and a friendly looking alien appeared, short and stocky with bright clothes and a stylish cap. His face was kind of squished in, but it seemed to have a permanent smile with bright, intelligent eyes. He was intercepted by Macedon a few steps from the ship, and the two shook hands in greeting.

"I guess that's my que, stay sharp Corinth, and don't forget our promise." Sunset looked at her fellow Padawan, and almost yelped as he suddenly wrapped her in a hug.

"I won't. Be safe out there, Sunset. May the Force be with you." He whispered, then awkwardly broke the embrace, looking away with a red tint on his face. Sunset felt her own cheeks grow warm, but she resisted the urge to turn and sprint to the ship long enough to wish the Force be with him as well.

As she turned, she momentarily caught the eye of Cheerilee, who had a slight frown. Briskly making her way over to where Macedon and the comparatively dwarfed Sollustan were talking, Sunset tried to ignore it.

"Sunset, this is Vrythiz. He is going to be our pilot for the trip, Vrythiz, this is Sunset, my Padawan." Macedon introduced the two, and the short Sollustan known as Vrythiz held out a hand. Sunset took it, and nodded, offering a quiet hello. He beamed up at her, and the more Sunset studied his face, the more it looked like he knew something she didn't.

"Good day to you, Padawan Sunset!" He said, a bit to cheery for her. Sunset decided she didn't trust him. The three of them carried a small conversation about the general plan after formalities were out of the way, and soon they were boarding to leave yet again. Macedon turned, pausing on the landing ramp, and waved a hand after a moment.

Sunset turned herself, a few steps behind him, and saw Corinth, Cheerilee, and rather surprisingly, Grand Master Celestia. Thinking to herself how odd it was that all three shared 'C' names, Sunset waved as well, and was about to follow Macedon up the ramp, when she saw another figure. Someone stood in the shadow of a pillar, covered in a long cloak, and a dark mask. The mask was jet black, but Sunset thought she caught the gleam of another metal or color as the figure turned into the sun and walked away.

Feeling exposed, Sunset hurried onto the ship, catching up with Macedon with a few quick steps. Their footfalls echoed quietly on the metal walkway, and Macedon gave her a quick glance, noticing the troubled look on her face.

"Not ready to jump to Hyperspace again, or just sad to be leaving so soon?" He asked, nudging her shoulder with his arm. Sunset felt a small smile break on her lips, and she gave a small shove back.

"A little of both actually. Space and I don't get along too well, if you remember." Macedon laughed at her reply, nodding at the memory. He was about to say something else when a loud curse came from up ahead, followed by some shouting. Master and Padawan shared a glance, and the two advanced curiously. They came upon the scene to find a young human, about twenty, messing with a panel in the wall, loose wires everywhere, and a few tools scattered across the walkway. Dressed similarly to Vrythiz, the crew member completely ignored them as he fiddled with the wires.

Suddenly, one of them spat out a thin line of electricity, zapping the poor man on his hand. Spouting out another curse, he tore his hand from the wall and waved it in the air for a moment, turning to nurse it when he noticed the two Jedi standing there. He paused, an embarrassed grin on his face, and wrung his hands a bit, mostly over the spot that had been electrocuted.

"Hello, uh, you must be our new passengers! I'm Jorayn, and, uh, I'm the internal repair man!" the wall sparked, showering him with a few bits of wiring, landing on his clothes. He turned and kicked the wall in turn, muttering about wires and budget cuts.

"It looks like you have this under control then…" Macedon stated, waking past the awkward crew member. Jorayn gave a reassuring smile as Sunset walked past, which she returned with an awkward smile of her own. It was going to be an interesting trip…

* * *

Macedon and Sunset sat together in a mostly empty storage room, meditating. They sat across from each other, eyes closed, breathing deep. It was an odd feeling, being so close to someone meditating. Most did it alone, the presence of another usually disrupting their own personal rhythm. The Force moved around them in waves, it seemed an ocean of emotion, but good ones. Each pulse bringing new feelings of comfort, warmth, a sense of belonging… and yet, every so often, Macedon felt it. A slight dip, an off-beat pulse. The disturbance it caused was slight, and was covered up quickly, but it was there. Sunset seemed not to notice it. In fact, it almost seemed to be coming from her, but Macedon dismissed that notion quickly.

Suddenly, the rhythm stopped, and Sunsets eyes opened, questioning him silently. Macedon had been thinking to intently and lapsed out of his meditation slightly, he gave her an encouraging smile, and returned to meditating.

Later, Macedon would grow to regret this day. The day he started doubting Sunset.

* * *

The Trip was much shorter than Sunset thought it would be. It would be just under a day by the time they reached Beitrudian, if all went well. With a few hours left to go, and some time to waste after the extended meditation, Sunset wandered around the ship. It wasn't nearly as spacious as she thought it would be, the hallways were barely wide enough to walk side by side with someone else, most of the rooms felt restrictive, and even the storage rooms were minimal.

The metal floors were darker than most shuttle interiors, and the echoes of her footsteps sounded muffled. Sunset decided she didn't really like the ship at all, and in turn trusted their pilot Vrythiz a little less. Jorayn seemed innocent enough, however, minus the curses he spouted at inanimate objects.

Speaking of Jorayn, Sunset heard him down the hallway, probably checking up on more wires, whistling. The toon was high pitched, light, swift, and oddly catchy. Sunset kept walking, soon seeing him, working on a panel marked as "Emergency Control" in red letters. Why everything in this ship seemed broken did nothing to improve Sunset's opinion of it, nor its Captain.

Jorayn looked up as she passed, and he stopped whistling to smile. Sunset nodded, intending to keep walking past, but stopped.

"What were you whistling just then?" she asked, and the crewmen frowned. He thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"I don't know, just an old tune from way back when, I guess." He turned back to the panel, grabbing a random tool and sifting through the electronics.

"Why don't you have a droid do all this?" Sunset asked, curious at her sudden realization she hadn't seen one aboard yet. Jorayn didn't turn around, and his reply was a bit muffled as he spoke into the wall.

"Why does a Jedi carry a blaster at her hip?" he shot back, connecting something together. A light flashed on the panel, and Jorayn nodded to himself. He twisted the wires together, and got out a small welding tool, quickly fusing the loose wires. He wrapped them in some protective tape, and slid everything back where it was supposed to go. Sunset opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. No words formed, not even a sarcastic thought. Jorayn finished resetting the panel back, and stood up, rubbing his legs a little. He turned around with a smile, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Vrythiz didn't want to have to deal with a droid, or something like that. The last droid he told me about had an error in its system and tried to blow up the engines with a basket of fruit and some fuel. Not sure how that works, but he almost did it, apparently." Despite the sudden hesitation Sunset had at his earlier statement, she found herself laughing at the idea, who knew fruit could be so dangerous?

They stood awkwardly in the hallway for a moment, until Jorayn asked another question.

"So what's your excuse?" he asked, picking up some of his tools and placing them in a case.

"What do you mean?" Sunset asked, confused.

"I told you why we don't have a droid doing all of our maintenance work, why do you carry a blaster, when you have a lightsaber?" the case snapped shut with a loud _click_ , and he turned his attention back to Sunset, who absentmindedly touched the end of the leather holster. She brushed a finger along the cold metal of the weapon, remembering her first crash course lesson with some of the Therrien troops.

"We were in a war-zone, are you familiar with the war on Therrien?" she got a small nod in reply, and continued. "We were sent, Macedon and I, to help. Macedon and one of the generals decided I should have some other sort of defense, should I lose this." She patted the hilt of the saber on her belt, and Jorayn nodded again. They lapsed back into silence, looking around at the walls lining the hallway, silently agreeing not to make eye contact.

"Well, good luck on Beitrudian. I have another panel to go fix, though it shouldn't take as long as this thing did." Jorayn affectionately patted the "Emergency" panel, and began walking down the hall with a slow, comfortable step, beginning to whistle the same tune he had been earlier. Suddenly, he stopped and turned, a delighted look on his face.

"I've just remembered, it's Hatley's Fifth Concerto, the song, I mean." he turned back around, continuing his walk. Sunset frowned. She used to listen to Hatley all the time… why had she never heard of a Fifth work?

"Aren't there only four?" she called to him, and he gave a big shrug.

"Who is John Galt?" he called back, disappearing around the corner. *

* * *

They finally made it to Beitrudian, falling out of Hyperspace into a currently unused orbit lane, dozens of other shuttles scurrying in other lanes and directions. A large Capital ship lazy floated above the traffic, a design Sunset had never seen before. The four of them, Vrythiz, Jorayn, Macedon, and herself all craned their heads up to get a better view.

Jorayn looked away first, distracted by something else.

"Incoming transmission, Vrythiz." He reported, pressing a button and turning a few dials. A static filled line connected, but a light voice was heard above it.

" _unidentified vessel, please identify."_

"This is Cargo ship S-57t3, requesting access to planetary docks." Vrythiz replied, holding a small head set up to his mouth.

" _S-57t3 stand by until further notice. Requesting access now."_

After a moment of silence, the voice rose over the static again.

" _S-57t3, you are clear for planet-side drop off, proceed to lane seven and follow the crowd."_ Vrythiz responded affirmatively, and steered their shuttle towards the directed lane. Lane seven was mostly empty. Jorayn snorted and mumbled something about the crowd.

The light traffic in the lane led them on a relatively quick descent, with surprisingly little turbulence to speak of. As they drew closer and closer to the surface, falling below the atmosphere, the designated flow of their lane leveled off, coming to a floating checkpoint of sorts. Vrythiz groaned.

"Should have seen that one coming…" the Sollustan muttered, before reaching under the main control board. There was a small sound of buttons being pressed, and Vrythiz' hand came back with a small handful of credits. He looked them over, and nodded.

Each shuttle before them was stopped in the middle of the platform, and Sunset saw more than one passenger being dragged off the one currently being stopped. Two men with green scarves boarded, and after a moment, came back out. They waved the passengers back aboard, and the shuttle went on its way. The next one was a personal aircraft, a single-manned ship it seemed. The cockpit opened, and the man inside exchanged a few words with one of the men wearing scarves. Something was passed from hand to hand. The man closed the cockpit and flew off.

Of course, Sunset thought, bribes. Or taxes. Or just harassment. Or all three rolled into one big mess. Probably the last one. Soon, it was their turn, and Vrythiz stood up with a sigh.

"Stay on the ship, let me handle this. Hopefully this is enough." He said with a forced smile, holding up the handful of credits he carried. He disappeared around the corner, but soon came back into view outside the ship. Sunset held her breath she didn't hear what was being said, but it soon became apparent there was an argument. Vrythiz began waving his arms, and the man he was talking to started shouting. Someone drew a blaster. The argument quickly diffused, and Vrythiz stomped angrily back aboard, followed closely by two of the men in green scarves. It seemed strange to Sunset that only half of them would be wearing the scarves, but she didn't mention it to Macedon.

In a few short moments, Vrythiz returned to the control room, tailed closely by the two that boarded with him. The look on Vrythiz's face was clear, no one said a word. He reached back under the panel, and grabbed another handful of credits, handing them to one of the men. The other smiled.

"See mister? No trouble at all…Welcome to Beitrudian." His eyes drifted to Sunset, and his smile grew much creepier, Sunset frowned and he winked. They left without another word, returning to the platform, handing over the extra credits to the man Vrythiz had first spoken to. He nodded, and waved a hand in the shuttle's direction. Giving a relieved sigh, Vrythiz took off, and they were headed to the surface once more.

 _ **A/N:**_ **this was supposed to be finished like, two weeks ago, sorry to those of you who have been waiting. But as promised, the chapters are going to get a little longer! I tried to include more descriptions and detail, but I don't think I got to the level I had hoped… guess I have to practice more and all that.**

 ***if you have read Ayn Rand's** _ **Atlas Shrugged,**_ **you might recognize this little scene. I thought of it, and at first hated the idea. Then I wrote it in and couldn't change it. Gotta love little tributes, eh?**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you feel so inclined, let me know how I am doing, if you see anything I need to work on, or have an idea you think might fit into the story well. Thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18: Meet the Family, sort of

Beitrudian, by all outward appearances, was eerily similar to home. Smog dominated the sky instead of clouds. The very few of those that there were had a sickly tint to them. The sky was a terrible murky blue, broken only when a ship passed from the smog filed bubble to exit the atmosphere, or vice versa. It seemed not even light could escape the change of hue, darker, less crisp.

The streets were over crowded, dozens of people going back and forth, pushing shoving, shouting. Loud noises of speeders, public transports, vendors, and street goers filled the already tainted air. Different smells briefly broke through the constant blanket of fuel, some good, most bad. The main difference between Beitrudian, and super-metropolis Equestria, however, were the people. The clothes held little color, all dark and drab.

Everyone seemed to be dirty, hair tangled and messy, faces in constant frowns, grimaces, and careful, even fearful glances. No one's eyes were anything but brown, hair being given a similar treatment. Anything not brown had a rusted pigment to it, testament to the true amount of smog in the air. Due her own vibrant hair, Sunset ran a hand through it, conscious of the looks cast her way.

Everywhere she looked, it was dark and dim, with two exceptions. Green scarves, and yellow capes. Neither were dull, or stained by the smog, but were bright, vibrant, so much so that it almost hurt to look at them amidst the sea of the dim and drab.

Where there were scarves, the people were skittish, as wide a berth possible given to them. Citizens walked a little faster past them. Where there were capes, the people were much more calm, though spiteful glances were cast their way in both cases. Another two realizations came from this. They were never in the same place, yellow and green, and there were significantly less yellow.

Sunset found herself quickening her pace as a group of men in green scarves strolled by. One of them whistled, grabbing his squads attention.

"Check it out, we've got a foreigner here! A pretty one too, at that!" the group of men laughed. There were five of them. Sunset could handle them with ease, but she was told by Macedon not to use her lightsabers. Not yet anyways. She dropped a hand to her blaster as the people around her quickly gave her a wide berth as well. Sunset kept walking. Up ahead, she saw Macedon had turned, watching. They had decided earlier he would take the lead, being ahead of her as they searched for any sign of their contact. He was supposed to be somewhere in this sector, but then again, it was a big sector. Jorayn and Vrythiz had stayed on the ship. They would wait a day, then leave. They were to return a few days later, and that would go on until the mission was finished.

"Hey there lady, slow down!" one of the others called, and he ran up, pulling ahead of Sunset, stopping in front of her. Sunset tried to go around him, but he blocked her again.

"Oh, careful fella's, she has a little gun with her. Those things are dangerous, you know lady?" Another man said as the rest of them strolled up. They all laughed.

"Whats a little foreigner like you doin' out here, eh? Come to make a change? Make a difference?" the five of them laughed as the man in front of her asked the questions. She saw Macedon start to walk towards her, only to be stopped. The man that stopped him was wearing a cape. None of the men in green scarves seemed to notice him yet, their attention focused on her. another flash of yellow showed itself in the crowd.

"whats wrong, you don't like talkin'? guess it don't matter none. We just wanted to give you a warm welcome is all!" one on her left said. He flipped back a thin jacket, revealing a blaster.

"By singling me out and harassing me? I feel so welcomed." Sunset retorted. The men surrounding her laughed.

"Feisty little thing, she is! Now, here's how things work around here. We keep you nice and safe, make sure nothing bad goes on, no shady business, you know? But that comes at a price, see, and we were just making sure you made your contribution. No need to make that poor lady pay for your protection, you know?" the lady that the green clad man pointed out froze, a scared look on her face. She briefly connected eyes with Sunset, scared hopeless eyes. Sunset smiled encouragingly, but the lady quickly turned and disappeared into the crowd.

"so, how's about you hand us that gun of yours, and a little bit of money, eh? Then we will personally escort you to your destination, right boys?" the man that had previously spoken took a step forward, one hand outstretched, the other on his blaster. The crowd moved faster. A few yellow streaks closed in on the circle of green.

"How about you leave me alone, and keep playing here while I go on my way?" Sunset retorted. The man on her right suddenly seemed to notice for the first time the others in yellow capes around them. They had moved in, now inside the reach of the space allotted to the spectacle. Which seemed a lot more open… more and more people were ducking inside random buildings.

"Uh, Hep… maybe-"

"Shut up, kid. You're new, but this is how it works." The man standing closest to Sunset cut the warning short.

"You should listen to your men, Hep." A new voice called out, and the man, named Hep apparently, spun around. A man in yellow had spoken, blaster in hand, raised. Six more stood by his side, similarly prepared. The lead man in yellow shot, catching Hep in his chest. He fell with a short yell, and the other men in green quickly raised their hands up in universal surrender.

"Scram, this street is ours now." The man in yellow commanded, and the four men in green ran, going back the direction Sunset had come from. Two of the men in yellow immediately rushed forward, grabbing Hep's blaster and scarf, searching for anything else valuable. The rest circled around Sunset, but their blasters were no longer raised, instead relaxed at their sides. The leader motioned his head towards Macedon.

"He with you?" Sunset nodded in response.

"Come with us, you stuck out like gold in a pile of lead." The odd idiom made Sunset scoff, and she caught Macedon's eyes as he walked up. He nodded. He thought they were decent enough to be trusteed, for the time being.

The leader of the squad resumed his point at the head of the group, and the others made a loose ring around Macedon and Sunset. They resumed walking, heading away from the scene in the same direction they had come. People began filling the streets once more, a few of the more daring spat on Hep as they passed. Looks were cast towards the group of men in yellow. Some were angry, others fearful, but some were warm. Most were curious, but every now and then, Sunset would see it. Someone was glad these people were here to challenge the men in green.

After walking for what felt like an hour, give or take, the group veered off onto a side street, pulling away from the crowds that had swept around them. One of the yellow caped men opened what looked like a sewer entrance, dropping inside. Sunset groaned.

"Please don't tell me we are really going down there…" she muttered. The leader of the group heard her, and smiled. Another man dropped down into the ground, another stepped up.

"It was the closest entrance, don't worry, once we get in there, it will go a lot faster. We have a ways to go yet, but without the crowd we'll practically be flying." The next man dropped down, and the leader motioned towards Macedon.

"Your next, my good man." He stated with a smile. Macedon hesitated, then shrugged. As he stepped up, he peered over the lip of the entrance, and paused.

"Well, it certainly looks better than what I was expecting." He said over his shoulder, and dropped down. The leader motioned for Sunset. With a sigh, she walked up, and paused just as her master had done. Instead of a sickly smell and green muck, a cool breeze wafted up, and clean walls lined the tunnel. Different lights lined the floor, and, almost even more surprising, they didn't seem to be tainted by the massive amount of smog drifting through the planets air.

She dropped down, dropping to her knees to soften the landing, and looked at the tunnel curiously. The walls were slightly off-white, but were clean, the air was cool and light, and it felt comparatively much more breathable than the air on the surface. A couple of panels were lit, around which the men in yellow already down were crowded around. Different lines of text flashed across the screen, and a map popped up every now and then. Macedon stood behind them, viewing the screen with interest, and he motioned her over as another man with a yellow cape dropped down.

"It looks like they have been fighting for a while, almost three years now. These Gangs have become the policing force here, there are five or six groups, we've been walking through a contested zone this whole time." Macedon commented, and the men in front of them cheered as the map came back, the color of a few different areas changing their color to yellow. Green, Yellow, and Blue were the largest three. Two patches of Brown were visible, surrounded by Purple, and a streak of white cut through a line of cities elsewhere on the planet.

"It seems that the gangs are just referred to by color, rather boring, but it works. Yellow and Purple are on good terms, and they have a shady agreement with the Blue, I think. Brown is almost gone, they had been long term partners with Green, but White has remained mostly neutral. Blue appears to be a wild card as well." Macedon explained, and he pointed out a story headline. Blue had moved on a storehouse not owned by Yellow, but Green. Then Macedon pointed out another, this one claiming Blue had sabotaged possible peace talks between Purple and Brown. Sunset frowned, looking at all the bits and pieces, trying to take all of the information in. the map showed up again. Purple had taken another small sliver from Brown. It seemed the changes of position never stopped, the map constantly updating.

"Alright everyone, we carry on." The leader called, and the few crowded around the panels reluctantly moved away. As they walked under it, Sunset saw that the entrance had been resealed, but it had no lock. Or a ladder for that matter. Sunset idly wandered how they got back up to the surface, as getting back up would be a bit tricky.

They walked for another half hour or so, before turning again to a wide door. The leader knocked on it, before stepping back. There was silence for a moment, then the doors slid open, and it got very, very loud.

On the other side of the door were hundreds of men in yellow capes, running from place to place. There were two next to the door, who nodded as they entered. From what Sunset could see, there were communication systems, tracking systems, training simulators, even a small arms firing range, though that area was secluded and facing the other direction. The doors slid shut behind them, and the sound of dozens of locks and safety measures being placed followed. That's why the other entrance didn't have a lock.

Most of the gang members ignored them, but Sunset was beginning to doubt the accuracy of the term. This was no gang; this was a well-designed machine. Everyone had their job, most didn't even carry weapons in here, but still had the cape signifying their allegiance. A generator spun in the middle of the room, sprouting dozens of wires. That was the source of most of the noise, making it hard to hear any of the hundreds of conversations going on. Suddenly, a younger looking boy ran up, saluting.

"Message from the Boss, sir!" he said in between heavy breaths. The leader of their group smiled down at the boy.

"How many times do I need tell you? you don't need to salute or call me sir, I'm just Captain. What's the message?" he asked, kneeling in front of the boy.

"Boss is holding an emergency meeting, says something happened while you were gone. It hasn't shown up of the panels yet. He wants you to bring the newcomers." The boy's eyes looked up to Macedon, then to Sunset. He waved. Sunset couldn't help from waving back. Macedon just smiled.

"Thanks kid, were heading that way." 'Captain,' as he seemed to refer to himself, tussled the kids hair, then stood, facing the rest of the group.

"You are free to go about as you please, gentlemen. Good work today. You two, however, need to come with me a bit more." The other men dispersed, quickly being lost to Sunset in the see of yellow caped workers.

"You must forgive me for not going through formalities, Jedi, but we were told to get you back in as soon as possible." He said again, before turning. Macedon frowned.

"How did you know we were Jedi?" he asked, falling into step beside the other man. Sunset stayed a step behind, looking over the different areas and stations. It seemed so hectic, but it was also divided rather efficiently. For instance, areas that needed communication between people and not machines were set up close to another.

"When you've been working with one for long enough, you kind of just know." The man replied. Macedon scoffed at the answer, but he didn't ask another question. Sunset spoke up.

"So, is your name Captain, or are you a Captain and everyone calls you that?" Captain laughed, and shrugged.

"Both, technically. I was a captain off-world, somewhere a long ways from here. People just caught on to calling me Captain." He explained, turning a corner. The hallway they turned into widened out and went further in, the sounds of the workspace outside fading out slightly. The walls in this section were stark white, the dim lights spreading light more by reflecting it than anything else. Their footsteps began to echo as the other noise faded a bit more.

"One more thing before we go in… I think it is safe to assume you at least know something about the Boss, but he is a bit… off. Just don't make him mad, and we will all be good." Captain informed them as he came to a stop outside a sealed door. He pressed a button on a side panel, and a second light next to it turned green a moment later. The door slid open, revealing a rather Spartan room.

The walls were barren except a panel showing the map of the planets regions, the floors were cold and unwelcoming, the lights were darker in here than in the hallway, and a small, square desk sat lonely in the middle of the room. A man dressed similarly to Captain stood with his back to the door, a hand hovering by a panel in the back wall. A yellow cape hung from his shoulders, a second one held tightly in his other hand, bloodied and torn. A few singe marks along the edge made it plain its former bearer had not been fortunate enough to make it back.

"Sir, the new arrivals." Captain said, stiffening at the sight of the torn cape. The man Sunset assumed was Discord turned around. His hair was a soft grey, with sharp features and mismatched, crazy eyes. They held the same emotion, however.

"They slaughtered our men, Captain. Like cattle." His voice was gravelly, and his tone harsh. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Sunset noticed the hilt of his saber was much longer than most, for he carried a double-bladed weapon.

"We need to strike back soon, they did not claim the area they raided, but they did one hell of a job getting us out of it. But first, let's see who Celestia sent to say hello." His gaze turned toward Sunset, and he raised an eyebrow. Then he looked to Macedon, and the anger filling his eyes receded momentarily.

"Ah, Macedon. It's been a while." The anger had been replaced with surprise, and a touch of respect, if Sunset read him right.

"Discord." Macedon replied curtly, giving a small nod. Captain glanced between the two men, not sure what to make of the situation.

"Did Celestia send you… or is this because of… our last meeting?" Discord asked, a little awkwardly. Macedon blinked, and Sunset copied the Captain's confused look. She hadn't known Discord and Macedon had a history, much less a bad one.

"Celestia. She was growing worried. You haven't contacted the Temple in a while." Discord huffed, and turned around. He placed the torn cape on the table, the angered tone returning to his voice.

"Of course, she always was the one to worry. But I have good reason this time." At this, Macedon was the one to scoff. Discord turned back slightly, and eyed the other Jedi, before turning back to the table. He let out a long sigh, and watched the map a moment. It shifted constantly, yet his face remained passive. His next sentence changed the situation a whole lot. As soon as the words left his mouth, Sunset knew this was going to take a lot longer than they all had hoped.

"There is a cult that worships the Dark side here, and I need to put them down."

 _ **A/N:**_ **There you have it folks! Discord and Macedon have a rather strange reunion, and they are thrust into the thick of it all once more! Will these cultists succeed at whatever goal I have in mind for them, or will the three Jedi bring a new era to the despicable place of Beitrudian?**

 **I hope you all enjoyed, and if you feel so inclined, leave a review and let me know how I am doing, if you have suggestions or thoughts, or want to point out something. With school winding down, I should be able to get chapters out a bit faster, or at least in a more scheduled manner. Thanks for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19: two sides of the coin

Silence held the room with utter control, not even the breathing of the four people currently staring at each other was heard. Just the deafening silence that comes with a heavy wake up call. No one seemed to want to disturb the silence, letting it spread and continue its hold over them, but Macedon shattered it with a simple word.

"Oh."

The shattered fragments mended back together a short while, before being tossed away in the wind as Discord spoke again, his voice harsh.

"'oh' he says, as a crazed cult tries to tear apart my work and a number of gang wars are fought around him. You know as well as I do what must be done. And it needs to be done quickly." The vague notion left Sunset out of the loop, shouldn't they just arrest those in the cult? No, she realized, because the Republic had little jurisdiction here, more people would resist than help. Sunset frowned, and waited.

"They cannot be ignored, but if you are suggesting we do anything other than trying to find a peaceful solution, I won't be part of it." Macedon stated, the slightest frown upon his features. Discord practically snarled.

"They murdered my men! Twenty good men that can't be replaced. Most of them had families to care for. Don't give me that look," Discord paused as he looked back to Macedon, having been studying the map before. "I have tried. I have tried to tell them sooner or later they will attract the attention of the Jedi but they didn't listen. I told them to stay out of our conflicts but they didn't listen. I couldn't contact the temple because they held me hostage for a month! I finally had to reveal myself. They know I'm Jedi now, and I still gave them a chance. This raid was their response. They _will_ be punished Macedon."

The silence that had earlier been flung to the wind came back and settled upon the group, agitated and unsettling. Macedon kicked it away again.

"I'm sorry. But you must understand my worry." He said cautiously, almost hesitantly. He seemed almost afraid, Sunset thought, and just that thought made Sunset feel afraid too. Nothing could scare Macedon, right? Finally, Captain spoke up.

"Sir, Macedon, if I may offer my opinion?" Macedon nodded, Discord waved a hand. "This cult needs to be disrupted, that much is obvious. What if, instead of hunting and killing them, we simply hit them hard enough to where they scattered? Make them split up, travel to other worlds. Make it hard for them to reform. Surely that would work?" even as he voiced his position, both older Jedi were shaking their heads.

"Scattering them would make it worse. Make them harder to find. Or they would all start mini sects of cults again. Then we would have a bigger problem." Discord growled, before Macedon jumped in.

"Agreed, we need to take care of them now, and finish it. While I do not think killing is the right option, if it is our only one, then so be it." Discord eyed Macedon strangely, then nodded slowly.

"Could we not send word to the Temple and get direction there?" Sunset asked, still holding on to a touch of hope for her former idea of arresting them. This time, it was Captain who shook his head.

"If the Jedi got involved, then the Republic would as well. The people here hate the Republic more than they hate each other. It would cause a lot more harm than good." He stated, and Discord sighed.

Watching closely, the silence crept back into the room, staying clear of Macedon, its foremost enemy. He must have spotted it.

"Bribery?" the attempted joke got one laugh at least.

"How do you think I ended up getting captured? Never show anyone how much money you have, Macedon. They will take you hostage and demand more." Discord informed him through a dark grin.

The silence condensed once more, then fled again.

"It's decided then. The only option is to attack. Show them to the sleeping quarters, if you wouldn't mind Captain, we will rest up a bit before coming up with a plan. I have some thinking to do." Discord ended the short meeting with a nod, and Captain saluted. As they left the room, Sunset cast back one last glance at Discord. He had his head bowed over the torn cape again.

* * *

After a short trek through the underground base, Captain left them to sleep in a wide hall, lined with bunks. Most had packs and luggage around them, and a younger looking man showed them a few bunks that had yet to be taken. They were cleaned daily, or, at least every other day. The sheets smelled of dirt and lavender soap. Sunset hated lavender soap. It was a long story.

"Why did Discord ask about your last meeting?" Sunset heard herself ask, but hadn't meant to, intending to sleep while she could. Macedon sighed.

"You've heard the story of him drifting to the Dark side and back, right?" He asked her, sitting on the edge of his bed. The support creaked, and Macedon gave it a long glance as Sunset answered positive.

"Well, I guess very few have heard the full story. We used to be best friends, when we were younglings and Padawan's. We trained together, much as you do with Corinth, we were an unbeatable team. Back then we had a competition, whichever team could complete a set of challenges first got some prize or another, something stupid and useless, I remember, but we always won. When we became Knights… we went down different paths. He set out to find force sensitive children, or report on distant worlds, hunt down cults much like the one here. But something happened on one mission. He didn't come back to the Temple. He didn't report in. he went missing, and no one could find him. Then we started receiving pleas of help. Someone was terrorizing a number of planets, leading a cult to dominate the worlds and set up a new order. It was him.

I asked to be the one to go bring him in. I tried everything Sunset, everything. He wouldn't listen to me. We dueled. He lost. I had injured him somehow. Knocked his Saber away. I was prepared to… put him down, when he just stopped. On the ground, dirty and broken. A shell of what he had been. He looked up at me, fearful, and I sparred him. Just walked away. He followed me somehow, and we went back to the Temple, and others put down the rest of the Cult. He was put on trial, but he made it through. They brought him back in." Macedon stopped, but Sunset felt there was something more. Another piece to the story before it ended. It just felt… unfinished.

"And now, here we are. That is why Celestia was so worried. She didn't want that to happen again." Macedon concluded. Sunset felt a wave of disappointment. She knew there was more to the story, but he wasn't going to tell her. She knew not to press him, but she wanted to know. Sunset went to ask him, but he let himself fall back into the cot, the small frame groaning as he shifted on it. Letting it drop, Sunset copied his actions and set herself down on her own cot. Her frame didn't squeak nearly as much.

* * *

Sunset was awoken by someone poking her arm. She jumped up, startled, looking around. The room was darker, and more people had moved in to their bunks. To her side, a young boy stood, eyes drooping slightly.

"Boss wanted to see you." the kid stated sleepily, yawning as he finished his sentence.

"Why?" Sunset asked, yawning herself. The kid shrugged, and motioned for her to follow. With a small groan, Sunset twisted her legs over the edge of the bunk, rubbing her eyes. The kid set off at a slow, almost shuffling pace. He must have been up for hours.

"Is he in the meeting room?" Sunset asked, and the kid nodded. "I know where that is, you look like you should get some sleep." The kid nodded dreamily, and shuffled back toward the bunks, Sunset watched for a moment, before he promptly fell into an empty bed. The man next to him startled a moment, before reaching over and patting the kids arm. Sunset assumed they were brothers.

Sunset made her way through the now dim base, a few other night prowlers, some working, a few milling about, not able to sleep. Tentatively, Sunset reached out with the Force. Froom the workers, the resulting effect made them seem calm, except for the man a few stations away from her. He seemed wide awake and alert. There was a mug on his desk.

The others gave off more erratic patterns, some of them not able to stop twitching. Sunset stopped her light scan, pressing on. No one stopped her, though she felt a few glances. She made it without too much trouble back to the meeting room they had been in earlier, only the door was already open. Discord had found a chair, and was sitting at the desk, overlooking a communications tablet. A deep frown seemed permanent on his face. It reminded her of Macedon.

"Sorry for waking you." He stated simply, not looking up. Sunset shrugged. She felt around with the Force again. Not too surprised, she felt him doing the same. There was a small wobble to it though, something was off in the waves of the Force around them. With a startled realization, Sunset noticed for the first time hers had a slight inaccuracy as well.

"Has Macedon told you of our… history?" he asked, setting the tablet down. He looked up at her, eyes softer than they had been before. She nodded. The shortened story Macedon had told her earlier came back fresh in her mind.

"Good. I think. How do you like him as a teacher? He always joked he would never get a Padawan." Slightly taken back at the question, Sunset hesitated.

"He is a good teacher, I think. He can move slowly through a lesson at times, but he has a good mind. He has treated me like a daughter, I can't think of a world where I would have had a different Knight to guide me." Sunset replied, after a moment. Discord nodded, it seemed he had been expecting that. He leaned back in his chair, letting out a small sigh.

"Did he tell you who our masters were?" Sunset shook her head. She had heard of Macedon's, of course. It was a high honor to be Padawan to Celestia, which few had earned, but she had never heard who Discord had been taught under.

"Luna." He stated simply. Sunset had let her gaze look around the room again, but they snapped back to Discord upon hearing that name. Something changed in his eyes, a flash of emotion. It was a mix of anger, and surprise.

"I hated her, for letting me fall. I still do, though for a different reason. But that is not the reason I called you here." The hard look in his eyes faded, if only slightly. He stood, and Sunset found herself tensing. Forcing herself to calm down, she resisted the urge to take a step back.

"I need to make sure that what happened in the past is not repeated. Can you promise me that, Sunset Shimmer?" he stepped forward, around the table. Sunset couldn't stop herself. She took a step back. Her voice trembled slightly.

"I am not responsible for your actions." She said, cursing herself as her voice quivered. Discord raised an eyebrow.

"Macedon is here to watch me, Sunset. I was not talking of myself. You however, are a different story."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Sunset replied, and for the most part, it was an honest statement. Discord smiled. In a creepy, knowing sort of way.

"Of course. neither do I, half the time. You may return to your bunk, Sunset." Without giving a farewell, Sunset hurried out of the room, her heart pounding. Why was this rattling her so much? The words replayed in her mind as she hurried back.

When she finally made it back to her bunk, Sunset couldn't sleep. Her mind kept shooting thoughts around, her heart still beet noisily, and her breathing was shallow. Sunset took a moment and shut her eyes, forcing herself to take a deep breath. It didn't help much. Opening her eyes again, Sunset stared at the rocky ceiling, waiting for morning.

 _ **A/N:**_ **hey everyone, this is coming a little later than I had hoped, but writers block always strikes when it is least convenient. I guess this was a weird chapter, it was kinda weird to write, but it is a good transition into the next, I think.**

 **Anyways. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and are enjoying the story! Feel free to leave a review or PM me, im always open to suggestions or general conversation! The next few chapters will be a touch longer, I think, so stick around to see what Beitrudian has in store for everyone!**


	20. Chapter 20: And So It Begins

The morning brought with it an interesting experience. Apparently, the bathrooms were separated by gender, and communal. It was extremely awkward. Luckily, Sunset could wait until all the other women were out to do her morning routine.

As she came out of the rather extensive bathroom/shower room, Sunset was hit with the strong smell of fresh coffee. A large table had been set up near the front of the sleeping hall, with various types of coffee of different strengths, with sections for sugar and crème in between.

Sunset approached, and found one she thought was the most like what she was used to, and made her cup. It was a little strong, with a dash of crème, and a small spoonful of honey, and it was perfect. Captain walked over, an empty cup in one hand. He gave Sunset a smile as he filled his cup, and fixed it similarly to the way she had.

"Second cup of the morning, it's going to be a long day." He muttered, the smile turned into a tired grimace. Sunset looked at him, slightly taken back. The wake-up call was barely thirty minutes ago, how could someone drink that much coffee in such a short amount of time?

"Why will it be a long day?" Sunset asked, and Captain pointed over to where Macedon and Discord were talking, surrounded by a group of more experienced looking men.

"Boss wanted to get started right away on planning the attack, he called the Squad leaders together this morning, we are just waiting on a few more to get here, and then we can start in full." He took a long sip, making a sound of content, smiling. Sunset took a sip from hers as well, and nodded.

"Well, we better go join the party. Nothing like a bunch of bickering old guys to ruin your morning coffee…" Captain trailed off, and Sunset followed him over to where the group of leaders were discussing.

* * *

"How many men can we field on a short notice?" one officer asked, Sunset completely forgot his name. Another answered, sounding bored.

"About two hundred, if we combine all of this city's available man-power." Another huffed at this response.

"Not that I doubt anyone here, or any of our men, but that seems a little short to me." The skeptic man voiced his concern, and the others shifted uncomfortably. Discord frowned.

"When I was there, they had about thirty men, crudely trained to swing a lightsaber. If they are skilled enough to not kill themselves using one, then they are a threat. Plus, any new recruits, or another trained force using blaster that we don't know about yet. Two hundred is less than I had hoped." The frowning leader stated, rubbing the small tuft of hair at his chin.

"We could try and infiltrate-" Sunset was cut off by Macedon and Discord responding at the same time.

"No."

The two glanced at each other, then to Sunset. Discords eyes were full of a knowing, almost regretful look. Macedon's were full of concern, and a hint of something Sunset had rarely seen in him. Fear. Captain cleared his throat, and spoke in Sunset's defense.

"I think we should hear her idea, we can use every idea or thought this group has." He spoke quietly, nodding to Discord, then to Sunset. Discord waved his hand, and Macedon gave the slightest of nods after a moment's hesitation. Feeling all eyes in the room swing towards her direction, except Discord's, Sunset felt a little nervous about her plan, but she set it before the assembled men anyway.

"Well, Macedon, Discord, and I, with maybe a few others, could sneak into their base of operations. After we get enough information to go ahead with the attack, we can split the men into two attack groups, and hit them from two sides. So, their forces will be split, and potentially outnumbered, while we are inside and can assist either group." Sunset grew more confident as she spoke, a few of the other leaders nodding or shrugging. Someone spoke up from the right side of the room.

"It is a bit rough around the edges, but I think that's the best course for us to take." A few agreements echoed his claim, and the group turned their attention towards Discord once more. He still frowned, and was still stroking his beard, but he seemed to think the same way.

"Unless we can find a better plan for a full assault, I agree. Macedon?" Discord looked to the Jedi in question. His face was sober, but he inclined his head.

"I do not like it, but I cannot think of another plan that would be much better. Unless you have any access to artillery?"

"Afraid not." Discord replied, and the group let out a hallow chuckle. They sat in silence for a while, before Discord stood.

"Alright. I guess that settled it. We go with Sunsets plan. Don, find out which two sides of their hide out have the most cover, or where cover can be placed. The rest of you, gear up your men. Captain, you and your crew will go with us." The assembled leaders dispersed with quiet anticipation, and before long, Sunset found herself in the main hall, standing with Macedon. He took a deep breath, and fingered his lightsaber where it sat on his belt.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Macedon muttered as the two of them mentally prepared themselves for the upcoming fight.

The dim hallway seemed to go forever, stretching endlessly as it drove the group deeper into their enemy's heart. The quiet, muffled steps and light breaths were the only noises Sunset could hear. Mostly, at least. In front of her, Macedon and Discord led the small task force, keeping a steady pace, and their weapons in easy reach. Next to her, Captain trotted, two blasters ready and waiting. Behind them, six more similarly prepared men followed. They had straightened out and changed bits of the plan, once they were in and engaged, the rest of the men would rush in from outside.

The Force was muddled, and it made Sunset uneasy, doubtful, and she jumped slightly when a noise sounded that wasn't their footfalls or the light breathing. She could tell Macedon was on edge as well, though Discord seemed completely focused. Sunset assumed it was because he was used to the Dark side being so prevalent.

The small party had slipped inside the cult's base roughly an hour ago, and most of that time had been spent making sure no sign of their entry remained. The hallway they were currently making their way through should take them to a viewing deck of sorts, to a chamber in the middle of the cult's domain. Said hallway finally came to an end, splitting to the left and right, both passageways curving slightly as they made a wide oval. Discord halted the group, motioning for Sunset and Captain to move a bit closer.

"Alright, gentlemen, and one lady, were splitting up. Captain, you take Sunset and the rest of the men left, Macedon and I will take care of the right. If the cultists are here, and in the chamber, wait for me to engage first. Ready?" Discord whispered the plan to the three of them, and glanced form face to face as everyone nodded. Sunset felt a small shiver pass through her. Discord seemed almost excited, too… eager, in a way. Macedon must have felt her short moment of heightened discomfort. He reached a hand out, grabbing her shoulder before she could turn.

"Stay safe Sunset," he said, concern evident in his face. Sunset tried to give her master a reassuring smile, but it died before it could show. Sunset knew Macedon well, well enough to know when something was affecting the normally calm and passive demeanor he held. He was scared. And that thought shook her as he let go and followed Discord down the opposite passage.

Captain relayed the last few bits of instruction to the rest of the team, and they resumed their march through the now curving hallway. Sunset suddenly felt the cold metal of one of her sabers in her hand, and in the other, her Therrien blaster.

Voices.

Everyone stopped. Captain aimed his weapons down the hall, waiting for anything to come around the gentle curve into view. Behind her, Sunset sensed the others copying his lead. The voices were too muffled to make out clearly, different tones drifting into the hallway leaving a ghost of a person lingering in Sunsets mind. After a moment, Captain motioned for them to continue.

As they moved forward, the curve slowly flattened out to a thin wall, and to their right, a small, relatively hidden platform rose above the bottom floor of the cult hideout. Captain again motioned something with his hand, and the six men stationed themselves around the open doorway. Nodding his head out to the platform, Captain got close to the ground, and shuffled to the edge. Sunset followed, the voices now clear and crisp, but putting the image to the voice did nothing to ease her nerves.

In the wide chamber were a few dozen men and women, black tattoos covering their faces and arms, crimson colored clothes the only color to be seen. Except for one figure.

The black armor bristled with the Dark side, the gold and silver accents seemed to dance in the strange chamber lighting. The man's helmet rested between his hip and arm, a displeased look on his face. Sunset nearly cried out. The man should be dead! She had killed the man named Korata herself! How was he standing here before these people?

No, Sunset realized, this wasn't Korata. Though the realization did little, the urge to scream subsided. This man was different. He carried himself in the same way. Tall, arrogant, proud, confident. Like everyone was beneath him. But he was taller than the man Sunset had killed. His eyes were more fierce, sharper and less forgiving. His face was in a permanent frown, the slight raise of his cheek bones giving him an aura of authority Korata lacked. Sunset barely registered the words being spoken below until the dark warrior spoke, shattering Sunsets study of the man.

"Listen fool, things change. I know you were promised my brother, Korata. The idiot got himself killed, so now you have me. And even worse, the Jedi responsible for that are here. And even _worse_ , you've managed to stir the anger of the only people on this planet that would help them." His voiced lashed out in an angry, scornful tone, the voice somewhat higher than Sunset had expected.

"Now, not only do we have a much harder situation, you have caused a greater problem for my Master. By bringing this attention to yourself, you have made it much more difficult to keep my Master's identity hidden." The comment was made almost in an offhanded manner, like a casual insult. It made Sunsets throat tighten. Another cult member called from the crowd.

"What are we to do now? Will you teach us, as your brother would have?" the lady called out. Picking her out form the crowd, Sunset saw she had many more tattoos than some of the others.

"Yes, I will teach you while I am here. Though my methods are not… orthodox." The man let a wicked grin break the frown that had previously been his only expression, "Though I hear some of you know which end to point one of these." A lightsaber hilt flew from his belt to the hand not holding the helmet, the red blade igniting dangerously in the dim light.

"Training starts now… who is first?" the terrible grin remained as he looked out at the assembled cultists. None of them seemed willing to step up, most looking at each other, whispering amongst themselves. A few minutes passed, Korata's brother taunting the crowd, calling them cowards and pathetic wastes. Sunset tightened her grip on her saber. The dark warrior leveled his saber at the crowd, barely hidden amusement reflecting in the light.

"I guess I will have to choose a volunteer… how about- "as he pointed at an unlucky soul with the tip of his saber, the dark warrior was interrupted.

"I'll go." Discord's voice rang out over the chamber, and Sunset glanced up in time to see the former Jedi leap to the floor below, his double-bladed lightsaber igniting in the air, the twirling blades spreading yellow light against the red. His grin matched the other mans twisted smile.

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ **: Hey everyone, sorry this took ages to get out. I was out at camp for two weeks with no tech, and the past two or so I just haven't been able to sit down and finish this. Nothing came to mind, until a random day on my families Colorado trip… so here it is! Hope you all enjoy, and hope I can get the next chapter out MUCH sooner than this one!**

 **Feel free to leave any feedback, comments, questions, or general words of amazement, as an old teacher used to say. Thanks for reading!**


	21. Chapter 21: farewell, Captain

Red. Red was everywhere. Not just on the cultists clothes, but their lightsabers all glowed in the red of the Jedi's eternal enemy. Discord stood alone, the yellow of his twin-bladed saber dancing in eager preparation. The yellow cape stood out almost blinding amongst the cultists as he stared down the man who was Korata's brother.

Sunset watched, frozen, as the dark warrior stepped closer to Discord. The man laughed as he drew closer, apparently not startled in the least.

"Ah, yes, Discord! The bold leader of the Yellow cowards and fools. I heard your men died begging for mercy. Have you come to join them in their fate?" he taunted, and the smile on Discord's face wavered.

"If I am to join them, there are others who will avenge them, and me." He said, and the seriousness in his voice was what broke Sunset from her frozen spot beside Captain. Without any more preamble, Discord attacked.

Pressing forward with a ferocity Sunset had never seen before, Discord lashed out with his aggressive weapon, the blades spinning and dancing. They came to a stop only for only a second when the opposing warrior blocked, then kept spinning, never letting up in a relentless onslaught. Sunset felt a grudging respect for the man, and the dark warrior at being able to keep the swift attacks. The circle of cultists around them widened as they dueled, dancing around each other in a deadly, beautiful pattern.

"The others have been contacted, the rest of our forces will be here shortly. Should we go ahead and attack?" Captain whispered, though Sunset barely registered it. He repeated his question, and Sunset tore her gaze away from the fight below to the ledge where Discord had leapt down from. Macedon was crouched in the shadows, watching as well. He looked up, catching Sunsets eye, and nodded.

"Lets give 'em hell, gentlemen." Sunset whispered, and she could practically feel the smile coming from Captain. Macedon jumped down, blue saber in hand, catching the cultists below by surprise. Two of them fell to Macedon's blade before they reacted, turning on him with scared, hating eyes.

Sunset stood up, Captain rising with her, and she fired her small firearm as she jumped. On the way down, she switched out her blaster for her second saber, igniting her two lightsabers as she landed. Immediately coming back up to her feet, Sunset lashed out, a cultists on her right dropping without a sound. The one on her left just managed to save himself, throwing her saber clumsily back away from him. Sunset used the push to guide her into a spin, cutting across his back with the saber in her right hand, and using her left to block a low swing aimed at her knee. She heard a snarl from behind her and pivoted, the woman who had spoken out with more tattoo's than the others descending upon her with a hail of strikes. She was better trained than the other cultists around her for sure, but she hadn't nearly the training Sunset had. Her swings were slow and predictable, using the same combination every time. From the platform, Captain and his men were firing down upon the cultists, some of whom tried to block the shots, others running in a n attempt to dodge the rain of blaster-fire.

The woman overstepped on a swing, bringing her close to Sunset as she blocked. Again using the weight provided, Sunset twirled, tripping the woman behind her, while keeping track of the cultists around her. they fell like flies, but there were a lot of them. Out of the thirty odd cultists, it seemed only ten were still standing and in a place to be dangerous.

And then out of the corner of her eye, Sunset saw three kneeling directly beneath the lip of the overlook point Captain and his men were on. Just as she was about to move towards them, the four cultists still a threat around her closed in. one stabbed for her chest, which she ducked around and with a small flick, used one saber to send his wide, blocking the swing from the man on her left. The woman on her right sent in a fast, but poorly aimed swing that Sunset leaned back to avoid while lashing out behind her to ward off the last cultists. As the swing went wild, Sunset jumped over them, and turned to where the other cultists had knelt.

"Captain!" Sunset cried, as the cultists jumped. The Force helped jumps sent them right over the edge, directly in front of the seven men there. The blaster fire was halted as two of them fell back at the sudden appearance of the cultists. The red sabers swung, and two of the yellow caped men breathed their last. Somehow managing to stay on his feet, Captain grappled with the third cultist, as the other two were shot down by the remaining men up there. Captain and his foe fell back over the edge, landing hard, the cultists underneath him. With a swift punch, the cultists went slack, and Captain stood wearily to his feet, breathing hard.

Sunset had to turn, meeting the four cultists again, ducking under a swipe, twisting as she did so. With one saber, she stabbed through the mans stomach, the other protecting her side as she came out of the spin to block a red saber aimed for her face. Pushing forward, the man stumbled back, and Sunset kicked out behind her, hitting the woman's chest. She fell with a loud choking noise as the man Sunset had pushed rushed forward again, only to be tripped, and Sunset drove her saber down. The last cultists bravely stepped up, and braced his feet.

Sunset growled at him, but he just smiled, looking behind her. Twisting, Sunset saw a horrifying scene unfold. The woman from before, with the many tattoos, was stalking towards Captain, blocking the shots that came her way. As she drew closer, Captain grit his teeth, firing again and again. She stepped close, swinging with a deadly arc. Captain just barely dove out of the way, then jumped at the woman, tackling her to the ground.

The man in front of Sunset rushed her, and she whipped back around, sending his blade wide, while her second lightsaber stuck through his chest. He looked shocked, and mumbled something before Sunset pushed him back and leapt towards Captain. The woman beneath him set a hand on his chest as he pulled back for a punch, and with a shove of the Force, sent him back against the wall. She rose to her feet, wiping blood from her mouth, and before Sunset could reach her, drove her saber into Captain, right where his heart rested. His eyes went wide, and he stared, dumbfounded, as the red lightsaber pulled back. And then Sunset was there, one saber through the small of the woman's back, the other where she had just run Captain through.

As the woman fell sideways, her face turned towards sunset, a twisted smile frozen on her face. Sunset knelt by Captain, setting her sabers aside, and placing a hand on his shoulder. His mouth moved, but no sound came out, though his eyes didn't seem scared, just tired. He took a last shaky breath, leaning back against the wall, a content look on his face as he looked past Sunset. Sunset felt a tear fall down her cheek. She hadn't known the man long. But he had reminded her of Seluthon. And suddenly, all the thoughts from Therrien came flooding back as she knelt next to her fallen friend.

Dimly, she heard the sound of lightsabers colliding. Macedon cut down the last of the cultists with a grim, regretful look, which only darkened as his eyes fell where Sunset knelt. Discord was still locked in combat with the dark warrior, the two seemingly evenly matched. Discord glanced over, and froze for barely a second, his face changing from determined to defeated, before he moved again. But a second was all his opponent needed. Catching him now off-balance, the dark warrior slapped Discords saber out of the way and kicked his chest, sending him flying back towards Macedon. The dark warrior let out a yell, using the force to pull a second saber to his hand from one of the fallen cultists.

Feeling something stirring inside her, Sunset stood up. Her lightsabers flew back into her hands and flared to life. She charged the dark warrior, ignoring the warnings in her head. This man could rival Discord, what could she do?

"Sunset! No!" Macedon shouted, running forward as well. The dark warrior turned and met Sunsets blades with his two, locking them in a strange and awkward angle between them. His smile darkened, his eyes a sickly yellow.

"Sunset, is it? I really must thank you for coming… Korata blemished our name when he fell to your blade. I'm going to enjoy fixing that blemish." He shoved against her, breaking the lock and sending her tumbling backwards. She hit the floor, and rolled in time to miss a swing. The red saber cut dangerously close, and Sunset rolled again, anticipating the follow-up. Instead of a second swing, however, he stepped forward, following her roll. When she came to a stop, he sent a vicious kick into her side, and Sunset gasped at the sudden pain. He kicked her ribs again, and Sunset yelped, dropping her sabers as she heard something crack. And then Macedon was there, his blue saber twirling and meeting the dark warriors own with a bright flash. Swinging high, Macedon pressed the other man back for a time, before the dark warrior caught his blue lightsaber with his red ones. Throwing their blades to the side, the man elbowed Macedon in his cheek, sending him staggering back a step, and through the pain, Sunset felt it again. Rage was swelling inside of her, the same feeling she had felt numerous times since facing Korata. And she let it go, in his brothers direction. She held a hand towards the dark warrior, feeling a torrent of the Force flow through her, mixing with her anger, melding with it, growing, consuming. The man in black stopped his swing towards Macedon, who glanced between the warrior and Sunset.

Sunset knew what she was doing, knew what it meant, but she didn't care. Not at this point. The dark warrior dropped one of his sabers, and his hand flew to his neck, as if tearing at an invisible rope. He lifted into the air, slowly, turning till he was facing Sunset. Sunset stood, despite the pain. The wave of Force grew stronger, it seemed.

"Your brother was weak… your order is weak… and _you_ , are the weakest of them all!" Sunset hissed at him, and closed her outstretched hand into a fist. Something snapped in the warriors neck, and his body was flung against the wall. He landed with a sickening _thud_ , and made no motion to rise. Sunset stared at his body, then let her gaze drift around the room, her anger seething and flowing from her in waves. Her gaze rested on the cold, peaceful form of Captain.

"wha-what have I-?" she stuttered, and fell back to the floor, her conscious leaving her.

Macedon looked on in horror, and stepped cautiously towards his fallen Padawan. She was breathing, but it sounded wrong, rasping and short. But he couldn't bring himself to take another step closer. Not after what he had just seen. He wanted to help, so badly. To rush to her side. To make sure she would wake back up, but he couldn't. She had used the Darkside. She would be kicked out of the order… _he_ would probably be kicked out of the order once the Council heard about this anyway.

No, Macedon told himself. He wouldn't let Sunset turn into another Discord story, he wouldn't.

Then why was he so hesitant to help his Padawan rise? Behind him, the surviving men that had come with them were on the ground floor, paying quiet respects to the man named Captain. Discord had gotten off the floor while he had engaged the dark warrior, and now stepped up to his side.

"What was that, Macedon- oh. C'mon. We have to get to the others. They were held up by another group of cultists. I'll grab Sunset." His former friend and brother pushed past him, almost in an annoyed manner, and Macedon watched with growing discomfort as Discord gently lifted Sunset off the ground.

 _ **A/N:**_ **Why didn't Macedon help? Why did a random side character have to die? WHY DO SNICKERDOODLES TASTE SO GOOD? So many questions… not enough answers….**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this, it was a fun chapter to write. Not because of the excessive death, but because I got to practice writing combat scenes some more. Next chapter will be up before school starts for me, hopefully, so stay tuned!**

 **One last thing, this story broke a thousand views! I know of some that broke that just from their first chapter and whatnot, but that is a special milestone for me. Cheers everyone! Go get yourself a snickerdoodle.**


	22. Chapter 22: Who goes there?

Sunset woke not in the small cots of the underground base, but the cold, stark room of a ships sickbay. A cheery tune had awoken her, the shrill whistle jumping up and down in a smooth rhythm that would have brought happy memories to mind, and a smile to her face, if she didn't feel so terrible. The light burned her eyes, the harsh glares of the artificial bulbs reflecting along the walls. Blocking part of the light in a fleeting moment, Sunset saw a figure walk by, and a blurry part of her brain told her it was Jorayn.

It didn't make any sense, because he was gone, right? Why was she on a ship, anyways? Where was Macedon?

The rush of questions brought a new wave of nausea to her head, and Sunset turned away from the door with a soft groan. Her arms were sore, her legs ached, and her head was a storm of questions and dizziness. Almost by reflex, Sunset felt out into the Force, hoping to find some solace there, but all she was met with was a dark wall. That wasn't normal. Sunset reached out again, but the action only sent another shock to her brain. Giving up, yet feeling no less uncertain, Sunset tried to relax, but her muscles kept tensing on their own. She would force her arm to go limp, only to feel her fist tighten around the sheets on the bed. She tried to get her legs to lie still, but her knees locked up and drew her legs closer to her body.

It was infuriating, and a little unnerving. A soft knock interrupted her efforts to relax, and she rolled over with a small effort. Discord stood in the door way, a passive, yet slightly inquisitive look upon his face. His mismatched eyes locked on hers as she turned, and his face moved into a slight frown.

"Glad to see you awake. How are you feeling?" he asked around his frown, which disappeared into the past.

"ughn…" Sunset tried to speak, but the involuntary grown forced its way out first, leaving her head swimming. Discord shook his head, a small smile hidden in a wisp at the corners of his mouth.

"Understandable… ill get you something to drink, if you think you can hold it down." Sunset gave the slowest nod possible, trying to keep the nausea at bay. Discord nodded, and turned to leave, but Sunset tried to call out to him.

"Ma-Macedon?" She called, not able to get any more out, fearing she might heave. Discord stopped, but didn't turn around. Turning his head slightly, he called over his shoulder, "He is… preoccupied." He stated and kept going.

* * *

Macedon frowned deeply, probably the deepest of frowns, if anyone kept track of that sort of thing. Deep in meditation, he could feel Sunset stir, sense Discord walking down the hallways, and followed Jorayn as he kept busy with work. Vrythiz was at the controls, flying the ship off planet, about to jump into hyperspace on the return to the Temple.

After the Cultist's had been dealt with, Macedon and Discord had agreed heading back was the best option, to get Sunset away form more exposure to the Dark-side, and to report in person to the Council.

Feeling the waves of the force, he noticed the oddity Sunset experienced herself, that dark space around her in the small medical room. It worried him a lot more than he might admit, but he trusted Discord to take care of it. His former friend would be able to solve the problem soon, with any luck.

His thoughts did little to appease his troubled mind, however, as the Force continued to wash around them. It just didn't make any sense!

Where could she have gotten into any sort of situation, where she would be open to the Dark-side at the Temple? Much less enough to recognize how to manipulate it. The duel with Korata wouldn't have been nearly enough, but even then… the details around that were a bit muddled.

His connection with the Force faltered, fading away to its normal wisp of feeling. The deeper sense of knowing fell back into memory, a fleeting notion of comfort and stability. Macedon blinked slowly, sighing in a long drawn out noise. His mind filled itself with thoughts, contradicting themselves, only making his mind foggier.

He shouldn't have let this happen.

It shouldn't have been able to happen.

It was still his fault.

But what had he done that would have led her this way?

Why hadn't he noticed it?

She obviously couldn't hide it-

Everything stopped. No more thoughts, except one horrid realization racing in his mind. The room shrunk in on itself, the lights lost their luster on the walls, and even the shallow sound of his breathing, and the dull booming of his heart faded from his ears.

Someone was hiding it for her. Someone who knew how to manipulate the Dark-side was shielding her from anyone else that might find out. Someone… but who?

* * *

Discord paused in his walk, a cold container of water in each hand. Macedon was around the corner, the Force a small storm about him. That wasn't good. Macedon rounded the corner, an unusually vivid display of emotion on his features. He was angry. Very angry. Yet behind it all, Discord could see the deep concern that it stemmed from.

"Someone has been dampening the force around her, Discord. Is she awake enough to talk?" His former brother asked in a dark voice, muddled with the rising emotions behind the man. Discord shook his head.

"Not for an interrogation, Macedon. She needs some more rest. You saw what it did to her. Give her a bit more time to recover." Macedon almost snarled. Discord took a small step back, his grip on the water tightening.

"I don't think you grasped the point. Someone, a very strong someone, has infiltrated the Temple and corrupted her! This, at least partially, explains the murders." Discord did a double take.

"Murders? At the Temple?" Macedon glared at him, before his eyes softened slightly. He let out a long sigh, and leaned against the wall. As his weight was shifted over to be the walls burden, Discord thought he looked… older, more worn. It was not a good sight.

"Yes… it has been a very dark time at the Temple… and now things have gotten worse. I just don't know what to do, old friend…" Macedon stayed there a moment, and Discord cautiously stepped forward. He hadn't seen his friend like this since… well, the day they fought. He held out one of the containers of water, and Macedon took hold of it, staring at it blankly. The emotion had gone from his face, Discord almost told him that trapping them away like that was dangerous, but he knew better. They had gone down that road of discussion many times before.

"Come on, Sunset was worried about you, of all things, when she woke up. It will be good for both of you to make sure the other is ok." Discord pried softly, and Macedon nodded, standing back up to his full height, pulling away from the wall.

 _ **A/N:**_ **a much shorter chapter than usual, and a lot later than usual… sorry folks. Life happens. Let me know if you enjoyed it, if you hated it, and what I can do to improve it!**


	23. Chapter 23: More Questions than Answers

_**A/N:**_ **It has been way too long. And I am deeply sorry. But, for those of you who have been waiting for this chapter, you can thank the guest reviewer who goes by Brave Chaser, for reigniting my passion for this story.**

 **So a very special thanks to our new friend, may you finally get a donut, and may it be extremely tasty!**

 **Also, before the chapter starts, I've been reading** _ **The Tales of the Malazan, Book of the Fallen,**_ **by Steven Erikson, and it is the best book series in the world. The first book is called** _ **Gardens of the Moon,**_ **go check it out if you like massive high fantasy worlds!**

* * *

Luna frowned in her personal training room. She had changed the floor, from its normal smooth and dark complexion to a cold, mountainous expanse. From her vantage she could see a simulated basin filled with snow and white tipped trees, the sheer sides of the mountain crisscrossed with cracks made by sharp gusts of wind and the steady melting and freezing of snow. At least, if her eyes were open, that's what they could be seeing.

Instead the focus of her frown lay behind her closed eyelids, a distant dream whispering echoed hints of events to come just outside her minds reach. Giving an inaudible growl, Luna mentally willed herself to the edge of the images, though they eluded her still. Willing herself after the fleeing images, Luna gave chase once more.

Yet the promises of the future remained outside of her reach, and, seemingly pulled farther away. Stopping, Luna slowed the chase, until her mind sat still once again. Then, from the darkness that comes with questing into the unknown, a small twinkle of light. Suddenly, air was whipping past her face, her feet hit mud, which found just enough purchase to keep her from slipping. Dark clouds brewed overhead, lighting and thunder challenging each other for the skies. The earth was marred and even scorched in places, despite the heavy rain that must have recently fallen. Swirling in the puddles and mud were red streaks, thick and dark against the murky surface. Up ahead was a hazardously constructed wall, a fortification of some kind. And behind her, the one who had forcefully pulled her conscious into his dream.

"Your cult is gone, Luna. Dead or too scared to show their faces for a long time." Discord spoke barely at a whisper, yet it held a ring of thunder, his eyes flashing dangerously, unnervingly similar to the lightning. This man was a storm she didn't want to deal with. Not yet.

"Not mine, Discord. But concerning nonetheless." She eyed the once-Jedi before her, and saw the raw determination that still filled him. "I have not practiced that role since your… falling out with my sister." Luna stated, not entirely certain how safe she was within his dreamscape.

"Then who? Were you not the Mistress of the Dark? Has someone finally bested you at your own games?" The verbal jab of his own failure did little, it seemed, yet the one he responded with cooled her blood. That was a title she had not heard in a while. Her blood, then chilled, soon turned into a boiling current of her anger.

"I was not beaten, Discord. I was spat out, discarded by the Dark. The one who now resides as its champion has gotten rid of any evidence I was once on the same throne. And they are powerful, Discord." The former Jedi's face paled, his lips tightening into a short grimace.

"You truly are not responsible for the cult on Therrien, then?" he asked, his mind racing behind his eyes. Luna looked around at the marred earth and mud. So this was Therrien.

"No, I am not responsible for them. All those who would embrace the Dark side with open arms answer to another, now. I merely borrow every now and then." Luna had said too much, then, but it was too late to take back the words. She felt his eyes study her, felt his probing through the Force. He wouldn't be able to gather much.

"Then why this obsession with Sunset Shimmer?" Luna's eyes narrowed as they returned their gaze to Discord, the tall renegade had his hand on his chin, his two eyes staring intently at the mud.

Before she was able to reply, the dreamscape blurred, and she was torn from its grasp. The mountains were gone, replaced by the dull smooth gray in her training room. A hand was on her shoulder, and she didn't have to look up to figure out who's it was.

"My thanks, sister. I… delved too deep." Luna hissed through clenched teeth. The gentle hand patted her shoulder, then left. The footsteps echoed through the room as she walked away.

"Indeed. Recover from the ordeal as soon as you are able. Macedon and his Padawan, Sunset shall be returning soon. I am told Discord is with them." Luna's head swam as her sister exited the room, then, as it cleared, she let out a small laugh, a cruel and dark sound, filled more with desperation than joy.

 _No, Discord, I do not hold the throne,_ Luna smiled as she thought, _but those games are still being played…_

* * *

Discord opened his eyes, mind racing. Someone had pulled Luna back. Discord swung his legs over the side of his bunk, and cursed, finding his legs shaking slightly as he rested his feet on the floor. The smooth lighting filled the white room readily as his motion was detected, illuminating the mostly empty space before him. Pushing himself to his feet, staggering the first few steps toward the hallway, Discord went looking for Macedon. They would need help, but from where?

* * *

Corinth shifted uneasily. The gardens were dark, not a light to be seen anywhere in the winding walkways except his own, illuminating the path before him. Not only that, they were still prohibited, at least to someone of his rank.

A note had been left in his room, which he had found an hour early, instructing him to meet here, in the central courtyard of the gardens. A summons that Corinth now realized he had very foolish to answer. The small light in his left hand, and his lightsaber ready to be activated in a heartbeat in his right, Corinth walked slowly towards the center of the gardens. Plants and shadows loomed to either side, waving and swaying under an artificial breeze, dancing in anticipation. What they were seemingly waiting for, Corinth hadn't the slightest clue, and it was driving him mad.

"Corinth, thank you for meeting me." A voice drifted from the darkness, a whisper that came from all sides, smooth and silky. Yet, distorted. Corinth suddenly grew afraid. Very afraid. "You have nothing to fear from me, my dear. I am seeking, in fact, for your help. A friend of yours is in need of… protecting." Corinth knew without needing to be told they were talking of Sunset.

"Who are you?" Corinth called, his grip tightening on his lightsaber. A soft sigh reverberated around the dancing shadows, the gloom protecting whoever was speaking like a blanket from the cold.

"A friend, dear, as I have said. You hold Sunset in, shall we say, a high regard, yes? I need someone to… help her through what is to come."

"You want me to spy on her." Corinth stated flatly, and a soft _tsk_ noise emanated from the darkness.

"No, dear, not spy. But the flow of information would be lovely. A fine suggestion." Corinth hissed, whoever this person was, they were ridiculous.

"I think I'll pass on the offer." Corinth inwardly grimaced, everything was always going back to Sunset! Discussions always slowly crept back towards the rumors surrounding her, her and Luna, specifically. Some were not very harmful, others ridiculous, but some… some were disturbing.

"Ah, but I think you won't. She is going to need you. and you alone can fill this role. She already see's you as a friend, trusts you, even. I want you to be there to help her stay on the right path." Corinth narrowed his eyes, not that it really did much good.

"What path?"

"Why, the path of the Light, dear. The Dark side is seeking to gain followers, and I can't bear to see another young prodigy wasted on doom and darkness." Corinth paused. Some of the rumors… surely it couldn't be true! Sunset would never turn to the Dark side! Right? "I sense the conflict within you. I understand how this may look, a mysterious lady asking you to do something in layer upon layer of secrecy… rest assured, Corinth, that I mean you nor Sunset harm. She really will need someone by her side by the time this is all over, and I dearly hope it is you. Do you accept?"

Now Corinth's mind was racing even faster. Was it really spying? In a way. Did he want to help Sunset? Absolutely. Did he trust this mystery lady? Not one bit, but the only way to figure it out, was to play the game. Making a decision, Corinth steadied himself.

"Alright… I will do as you ask. I will be by her side when this moment you keep speaking of arrives."

"Delightful! Now go get some rest, dear Corinth. It is late, after all."

Suddenly, the gloom lost its anticipation, as if disappointed. And Corinth knew that the lady was gone, whoever she was. Sighing, Corinth turned and walked out of the gardens the way he had come, giving a wide berth to where the first murder had happened, weeks ago.

And, on the other side of the Temple, Luna frowned once more, still in her practice room, as something in the Force shifted, then, most ominously, remained unfixed.


End file.
